GrimPrecise I'll tell you why so serious

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Pjtaylor-96-138044 Despite a compelling central performance and a solid concept compounded by often excellent direction, 'The Night Of The Hunter (1955)' frequently loses its way with long stretches of narrative silence and ends on a disappointingly weak note. If it weren't so oddly tangential and had a stronger ending, this would be a more than solid entry into the 'mysterious stranger' genre and I actually think that the surprisingly dark core story still holds up as one that deserves to be told in a way that is as gripping as it initially promises to be. I know it's a dirty word, but perhaps a remake would be beneficial here. 6/10

Charles Herold (cherold) Having not seen Night of the Hunter in many years, I had forgotten its weak, unnecessary beginning, in which bad guy Robert Mitchum rambles on in order to make clear to the audience what a terrible person he is. It's an unfortunate choice, as Mitchum is so effective in his portrayal of a psychopathic preacher that the audience doesn't need it spelled out for them.Once the movie moves out of its odd exposition phase it gets better and better. Mitchum is a fascinating monster, and watching him crush the spirit of weak-willed Shelly Winters and play cat and mouse with her son is fascinating.The downriver scenes are truly remarkable. Shot by Stanley Cortez, who should have won an Oscar he was inexplicably not even nominated for, they have a lyrical beauty that stays with you.Night of the Hunter is a rather oddly structured movie, episodic and loosely woven. Most of this works surprisingly well, although there are moments, as when the writer makes the wonderful Lillian Gish spout ponderous biblical quotes, that feel highly unnatural.It's a shame director Charles Laughton never directed another film, as the single one he made is a suspenseful classic with wonderful performances and brilliant cinematography.

ReganRebecca There are many things that makes The Night of the Hunter so iconic. The film is an almost childishly innocent tale about a preacher of a faith of his own making (Robert Mitchum, note perfect). This preacher is a man who not only talks to God, but thinks God talks back, giving him permission to court, marry, and murder lonely widows to obtain their fortunes to build a church grand enough for the preacher to adequately worship God in. At the same time as the preacher is arrested for an innocuous offence, Ben Harper, a man tired of always being down and out, robs a bank and gives the money to his children to hide before he is arrested and taken away to be hanged. Harper and the preacher's lives intersect briefly in jail, but it's enough time for the preacher to catch wind of Harper's hidden fortune, and when he gets out of jail he comes a knockin' fully intent on getting Harper's ill-gotten money by any means necessary. There is honestly nothing not to enjoy about the film. The showiest performance of all is Robert Mitchum, but every actor in this is good, grasping the fairy tale tone of the plot. Charles Laughton's direction is impeccable, the cinematography, the lighting, the shots, everything will take your breath away with its stark vicious beauty. And the score is haunting and exotic, adding to the frighting atmosphere. I've seen this movie many times and each time been completely seduced by the film. One of the greatest.

strumdatjag This film is a melodramatic morality tale about the struggle of good against evil against the backdrop of an idyllic small southern river town. You'll see more shots of cute wildlife than a Disney Nature Film. Stereotypes of nice southern bible thumpers abound! A better version of this "evil visits nice small town" story would be Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" (10/10). I was disappointed by "Night of the Hunter" and gave it a 6/10. A mediocre movie with many nice moments. Great to see Lillian Gish.