The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter

1955

Directed by Charles Laughton

This is the second time that I have watched this film. The story follows two children who are stalked by a murderer who poses as a preacher. The film has some great shots with some beautiful imagery. I really like the still that I posted above. One of the scenes that I absolutely love is where the children are floating along the river and different animals are shown watching their journey.

The film combines both religious and sexual imagery in a very expressionistic way. There is one scene in particular where Robert Mitchum's character is leaning over Shelley Winters in bed. The whole room is lit to make it look like a church interior. One could write quite a bit about how these themes are presented.

This is a film that deserves repeat viewings. The film is filled with beautiful haunting imagery. I also really love the score to the film. There are some great songs that are sung by the characters in the film that really add to the overall enjoyment of the film. 

Rustin Allison