Retro Film Review: The Night of the Hunter (1955)

(source: tmdb.org)

The author of this review could hardly remember a single instant when he experience surprise while watching movie. Being pleasantly surprised by a movie almost became a distant memory, especially after watching the quality of contemporary Hollywood movies declining. So, when one of those pleasant surprises actually happened, it was in the form of an old Hollywood classic, one of those less known films from the past. When I began watching The Night of the Hunter, 1955 film noir directed by Charles Laughton, for the first time, I didn't know that I would be blown away by a movie.

The Night of the Hunter is based on the novel by Davis Grubb. The screenplay was written by James Agee (and re-written by Laughton). Plot is set in Depression-era rural America and begins with the introduction of Harry Powell (played by Robert Mitchum), vicious serial killer who preys on lonely widows and earns their trust by pretending to be a preacher. Briefly imprisoned for car theft, he shares the cell with Ben Harper (played by Peter Graves), man sentenced to death for robbery and murder. Since Harper had stashed 10,000 US$ of his loot, Powell is determined to find it. Upon a release from prison he visits Harper's widow Willa (played by Shelley Winters) and uses his conman's skills to earn her trust and even marry her. His plan has one problem - Willa doesn't know where the money is, but her children - 10-year old John (played by Billy Chapin) and his little sister Pearl (played by Sally Jane Bruce) - do. John is immediately suspicious of his stepfather's true nature, so the psychopathic killer starts intimidating the boy in order to get his hands on money.

There are many surprises in The Night of the Hunter. First one is its director. Charles Laughton is best known as one of best character actors of classic Hollywood. The Night of the Hunter was his directorial debut (and, sadly, his last work behind the camera), but the film looks more like a work of a great and much more experienced filmmaker. Laughton's lack of experience was perhaps one of the advantages for this film. The Night of the Hunter, with its impressive black-and-white photography by Stanley Cortez, looks completely atypical for 1950s Hollywood. Many scenes - both exterior and interior - look purposely theatrical, creating memorable images and setting the tone of the film. One of the best examples is the distant image of Harry Powell on horse – his shadowy, menacing figure that sticks out from evening horizon is one of the most frightening incarnations of evil in the history of cinema.

The Night of the Hunter might surprise today's audience by its content as well as its form. Apart from a genre mix quite unusual for its time - film noir, horror and children's fairy tale - modern viewers would probably scratch their heads at the filmmaker's courage in treating some subjects that were taboo in 1950s. The most recognisable is sexuality, especially female sexuality. Not one, but two female characters in the film explicitly desire sex, while the third openly discuss about it. Another 1950s taboo is broken by portraying darker sides of Christianity, especially in seemingly idealised rural America where the people are supposed to be more faithful to traditional values than in big cities. Film's main villain justifies his horrendous crimes by comparing them with killings in the Bible. Good Christian folk try to live to their religious ideals and in the process allow the evil man to seduce them. A woman finds religion as an ersatz for her own repressed sexuality. Finally, even the most angelic character in the film, Rachel Cooper, brilliantly played by silent movie legend Lillian Gish, lives to her Christian ideals at the expense of her own family. In one of the most poignant scenes, both her and the villain play the same song, thus suggesting that the lines between Good and Evil are much more blurred and that Christian charity and murderous insanity might be two sides of the same coin.

Another taboo in The Night of the Hunter is broken with the use of children as protagonists in extremely adult tale. The film deals with violence and depravity that lurk beneath facade of "normal" people, yet Laughton, unlike most of directors before and after them, doesn't shy away from showing the dangers that await the most helpless and most innocent. Children are victims in this film. They are hungry, dirty, without parents. Some become prey of sexual predators and some, like John and his sister, must face someone who wants to deprive them of their lives. Because of this The Night of the Hunter is very disturbing film, and it is quite easy to imagine why it wasn't popular among the audience.

Yet, there are other, more prosaic reasons why The Night of the Hunter, despite being surprisingly good film, can't be called a masterpiece. Child actors Billy Chapin and Sally Anne Bruce are playing their roles badly, and their lack of experience and talent is in huge contrast with their older colleagues. Robert Mitchum plays one of the most memorable roles of his career. His Harry Powell is one of the most terrifying and the most effective villains of all times. This is mostly because his serial killer is closer to the psychopaths that exist in real life - pathetic losers that prey on the weak to compensate for their own sexual, intellectual and social inadequacies. Shelley Winters is also extremely effective as sex- starved housewife and whoever sees his film couldn't fail to notice some striking similarities with her latter and better known role in Kubrick's Lolita. Lillian Gish is also memorable as tough but loving matriarch, and James Gleason is also good in his role of well-natured but flawed old man.

The acting, no matter how good, can't compensate for another weakness - ending. The plot resolution seems rushed, one scene is too melodramatic and represents another example of Billy Chapin's bad acting. Yet the general impression of The Night of the Hunter is more than positive. Couple of glitches at finishing line might be unpleasant surprise, but the movie as a whole is much more pleasant surprise for all those who don't shy away from obscure black-and-white classics.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on November 11th 2002)