(Talking about his hands with HATE tattooed on fingers of the left and LOVE tattooed on the right) "You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man."
The Night of the Hunter is a milestone in the thriller genre. It is creepy like no other film before it, full of suspense, surprises and innovation. It influenced and was imitated by countless films but none have ever equaled it for its unique combination of suspense, dread, beauty, innocence and thrills.
“One of the greatest of all American films. An expressionistic oddity… what a compelling, frightening and beautiful film it is." "It is one of the most frightening of movies, with one of the most unforgettable of villains, and on both of those scores it holds up ... well after four decades”
– Roger Ebert
It was the product of three remarkable men and one remarkable woman.
James Agee was an American poet who died young and left behind two major books, a group of poems and two full-length screenplays that had been made into movies. Both these films rank high in the ranks of cinema. This is one of them; the other was "The African Queen." A gifted and articulate author with a strong sense of the worries, the fears and the beauties of the ordinary person, he brought much to the film.
Robert Mitchum, created in this film, a legendary screen villain. Mitchum was known as the bad boy of Hollywood. He made it a point of showing up late, picking fights, smoking pot (at a time when this was not viewed well) and saying outrageous things. Much of this was a pose, but after all that is what actors do. I don't think anyone else before or since could play the roll of the con-man preacher with such a perfect balance of piety and evil, of holy inspiration and cloaked insincerity, friendly charm and criminal insanity.
A good villain needs someone to balance him in the film. Few people could have played opposite Mitchum in this roll, without being upstaged, but Lillian Gish managed it, and managed it well. She had not played a major role in a film for many years, although she was well known and appreciated on the Broadway stage. Her trademark had always been a frail looking body with a will of iron. Sitting on her front porch at night with a shotgun across her knees her personality was just as strong and potent on the screen as Mitchum's. There is an unforgettable moment in the film where they sing together in the dark - each singing the same song, but one projecting evil and the other projecting good.
Shelley Winters also does an excellent job as the passive and vulnerable wife.
Bringing all the elements together is director Charles Laughton, who was famous as one of the greatest actors of his day. He brought his remarkable theatrical sense of timing, atmosphere and drama to the film. He told Agee he needed to cut the script by a half and Agee did it. I respect Agee as a writer, but I am sure the film is better for it. He wanted to astound and surprise the audience as then had not been surprised by films for many years, and didn't want the film to have anything that wasn't useful. His instincts for pacing are incredible. He used quick dramatic pacing with quiet and incredibly peaceful moments that then slowly and imperceptibly build again to moments of intense tension. He used long forgotten but effective techniques from expressionist films and silent films to create a dense and menacing atmosphere. Aside from being frightening and horrific, the film is also strikingly beautiful. Laughton uses the beautiful moments to contrast and give the audience a breathing space from the suspense. Yes, you do get surprised by this film.
It was his first and last solo effort as a film director. The film was too experimental and new for the audience and critics of the time. Poor reception of the film discouraged him from ever making another. The film got no awards or nominations. However, recognition did come for the film in later years. In 1992 it was chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress as historically, artistically and aesthetically significant. It is #2 on the list that came out in 2007 of the "100 Most Beautiful Films," by the Cahiers du Cinema, the influential French film magazine, and is #34 on AFI's list "100 years… 100 Thrills."
Looking at it today, it is still vital and surprising. All the elements work in this film. There are no jagged edges, the actors play off each other perfectly, the pacing of the suspense and the action is flawless. No moment is the film is wasted or fluff. It is difficult to think of another suspense/thriller film that is this well crafted. I did feel the last few minutes were not up to the rest of the film. Perhaps the studio stepped in to make a ending they liked. However, this is easily forgotten and did not mar the rest of the film.
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