I have a confession. I love to buy movies. A simple declaration; something that those that know me well are acutely aware of. But, unfortunately, I've been unable to catch up with my purchases and have an amazing collection of films I haven't seen yet. One of these, a dvd I got for Christmas, is Charles Loughton's The Night of the Hunter. A dark movie about a preacher/serial killer (Robert Mitchum) who learns from his cell mate about a heist he pulled previous to being incarcerated. Harry Powell (Mitchum) is released from prison and proceeds to meet the wife of the other prisoner, marries her, and continues his quest for the cash. Willa Harper (Shelley Winters) has two children who are keeping the secret of the hidden money and Powell will do anything in order to recover it.
A suspenseful, dark, hybrid noir, Night of the Hunter combines the dark cinematography (this is what really stands out. Maybe the best I've seen from an American director.) of traditioinal noir with a religious vernacular and certain themes pertaining to it. There is no femme fatale here. Rather, the man inverts the traditional paradigm and leads the woman to her doom.
Final Verdict: An amazing film that combines spectacular cinematography and brilliant performances with horror and suspense to create a one-of-kind noir. I highly recommend this to anyone who might read this entry.
1 comment:
It's been near the top of my queue for forever... getting a bump now.
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