The Night of the Hunter

Starring: Robert Mitchum

Director: Charles Laughton

The problem with finally getting around to watching a classic is that you’ve heard so much about it you build up an impression of it in your head. You convince yourself it will knock your socks off, and when finishing the film with socks still fully intact, it’s difficult not to feel a pang of disappointment regardless of how good it was.

The Night of the Hunter fits into this category perfectly. If you consider yourself a bit of a film buff (and it’s clear that I do, or else why would I keep a blog about them), there are certain films you should have seen, and this 1955 favourite loomed large on my list of must-sees (see also Blade Runner, Deer Hunter, and an alarming number of Hitchcock films).

I had a decent enough idea of the plot – Robert Mitchum’s self-appointed preacher harasses two siblings, trying to find where they’ve hid the money their (executed) father stole in a bank robbery. However, the tone and feel of the film was a lot different to what I expected, which was a standard (but well executed) thriller.

However, while there are hints of that here and there (and very well done they are too), it is a lot more than just a by-the-books thriller. Parts are melodramatic, parts are quite comedic (especially a very Home Alone-esque sequence in the basement) and most significantly of all, parts were surreal and almost fantastical. I refer to the famous boat ride down stream as the children flee from Mitchum. In a deep, dark fog, and with nature looking on, the boat gently glides along, as if the children are travelling into some strange, far-off land.

It’s a very well put-together sequence, and  the majority of the film is very well shot and crafted by Laughton, in a style which is very atypical of most films of this era, suggesting he was a man ahead of his time (which is possibly the reason this was the only film he ever directed). Some shots are extraordinary given it’s time, especially an underwater reveal which is simultaneously devastating and captivating.

That said, the film didn’t grab me as much as I had been led to expect. It is painted as one of the most terrifying films of all time, and yet (a couple of key sequences apart) it struggled to live up to this grandiose billing.

Fortunately, Night of the Hunter has one magnificent trump card: Mitchum’s unbelievable turn as the slimy, wicked Preacher. It’s a masterclass in portraying a charismatic, charming psychopath and is undoubtedly one of the all time, top-5 film baddies. The smug grin and unbreakable sureness of tone as he interrogates the children is a joy, as is the way he flicks from evil, money grabbing killer to friendly, bible-quoting stepfather depending on his company. It’s an utterly remarkable performance.

That aside, there was nothing else I loved about this film. I understand why it is such a classic, and why it is loved by so many. However, the performance of Mitchum carries it a long way, and in the moments where his character is not on screen (or his presence isn’t looming menacingly just off screen) are relatively flat. A few random mis-steps on the way (a tiny, inconsequential moment with a death-row guard is baffling as to why it’s been included) also muddle matters, and takes the edge off the moments of genuine tension.

Overall, a score of 7 out of 10 would seem about right. That may be sacrilegious to most bona-fide film experts (i.e. not just chancers writing a blog for a handful of people to read), however there are enough stumbles in the film to prevent it achieving a higher score. It is, quite clearly, a very well put together film, however not in the same league as many other classic thrillers.

For more information about The Night of the Hunter, click here to go to it’s Wiki page.