As noted in my essay collection, Breakfast At Midway, frequent business travel is more exhausting than exciting. For every Vegas trade show, there are a dozen (or more) nights eating Chinese takeout from the box while watching cable TV in a budget hotel room. I first encountered the film The Night of the Hunter twenty years ago on just such an evening at the Hampton Inn Greenville, North Carolina, and was captivated by its strange, almost dreamlike quality. This past week, I rewatched the film.
The Night of the Hunter is a 1955 noir-thriller directed by Charles Laughton and based on Davis Grubb's novel of the same name. Upon rewatching, I was immediately struck by the film's timeless quality. The story of two children, John and Pearl pursued by a sinister preacher resonates as strongly today as it did in the 1950s. Robert Mitchum's portrayal of the villainous Harry Powell is chilling and unforgettable, his tattooed knuckles spelling out "LOVE" and "HATE" becoming an iconic image in film history.
What truly sets The Night of the Hunter apart, though, is its stunning cinematography. Influenced by German Expressionism, the film's use of stark contrasts, distorted perspectives, and surreal imagery creates a dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the line between reality and nightmare. The famous underwater scene, where the body of the children's mother, Willa, is discovered, remains a haunting and beautiful sequence that showcases the film's artistic imagination.
The opening moments of The Night of the Hunter draw an interesting parallel with another classic, The Wizard of Oz. Both films begin with a stark contrast between reality and fantasy. While The Wizard of Oz transitions from the sepia-toned Kansas to the technicolor world of Oz, The Night of the Hunter opens with Lillian Gish's character surrounded by children's faces floating in a starry sky. This weird sequence sets the stage for the film's bending of reality. Unlike the hopeful transition in Oz, however, The Night of the Hunter uses this surreal opening to foreshadow the dark journey ahead, immediately establishing a distinctive tone that balances childlike innocence with looming threat.
Upon rewatching, The Night of the Hunter's exploration of good and evil becomes even more profound. The juxtaposition of Powell's false piety with his murderous intent serves as a powerful commentary on religious hypocrisy. Meanwhile, Lillian Gish's character, Rachel Cooper, embodies a nurturing and protective force, offering a compelling counterpoint to Powell's malevolence.
It's remarkable to consider that The Night of the Hunter was Charles Laughton's only directorial effort. The actor-turned-director brought a unique perspective to the film, infusing it with theatrical elements and a keen eye for visual storytelling. The film's initial lukewarm critical and popular reception and subsequent rediscovery as a classic is a reminder of how some works of art are ahead of their time. Houses that are much bigger on the inside than they appear on the outside; rooms with odd angles and strange lighting; surreal landscapes that are obviously painted backgrounds; and the mingling of religious imagery and music with psychotic behavior. It is easy to see how an audience in 1955 might have found elements of the story confusing or even frustrating.
I do think Laughton made a couple of strategic decisions that diminished the film's impact slightly. The first is that he gave up the location of the hidden cash too early. Drawing that out would have added to the suspense and made for a more dramatic reveal later in the film. The other is the use of real city names. The story works just fine taking place in some town on some river. By mentioning Parkersburg and Cincinnati as downriver, the location is fixed to somewhere on the upper Ohio River between Pittsburgh and Parkersburg, making it a "real" place and somewhat taking away from the dreamlike quality.
These are extremely minor issues, though, in an exceptional movie well worth your time. The Night of the Hunter is currently streaming for free on Amazon Prime Video.