The 1955 Charles Laughton film The Night of the Hunter is a spectacular piece of art and one of the most influential films of all time. Looking at the Criterion 40, we’ve seen a lot of films that are masterpieces. We’ve also seen a lot of films that innovate in unique ways. But we haven’t seen many movies like this, where everything from the narrative, plotting, and score, to cinematography, have made such an impact on film in the subsequent years.

This collection of Criterion films often feels like the best of the best. Each film does something unique and breaks the rules of conventional filmmaking. A movie like Yi Yi is an epic, long-format film with little conflict or high stakes. A movie like Naked is meandering and tough to stomach because of the unlikable lead protagonist. And the French New Wave films, while influential, often break rules that are still standard in Hollywood. But The Night of the Hunter doesn’t break any rules. Instead, it makes all of the rules and does so better than almost every film that’s come after.

Citizen Kane

The one film that most people agree on to truly set the standard for filmmaking is Citizen Kane. It’s almost a joke at times how much influence people have on that film, but it’s true. Citizen Kane set an incredibly high bar for narrative and filmmaking techniques that directors have been trying to reach for decades.

The Night of the Hunter takes the same ideas as Citizen Kane but does so with an adaptation rather than an original story. The film is based on a novel of the same name that came out only two years prior and created the formula for film adaptations. The Night of the Hunter keeps the same narrative beats, but adds in stylish camera work, impeccable acting choices, and a thrilling score to bring the novel’s story to life.

Charles Laughton

The Night of the Hunter is the first and only film directed by Charles Laughton. Laughton was a character actor in the truest sense of the word. During this time of filmmaking, many actors and actresses were typecast and played essentially the same role over and over. A good guy, a bad guy, a cowboy, or a villain. But Laughton was able to hone his craft enough to fully engulf every character he portrayed.

It’s this reason why I believe The Night of the Hunter works so well as an adaptation. You can almost imagine Laughton reading the book and figuring out each character in the book. He understands their motivations and what is driving them, and he’s able to use that in the direction of Robert Mitchum, Lillian Gish, and even the child actors prevalent in the film. Each character feels fleshed out, like a real person, rather than just a standard arch type we’d seen so many times before. Robert Mitchum is the real standout, but every performance around him elevates his on-screen presence.

Love & Hate

Robert Mitchum leads the film as Harry Powell. A man recently released from incarceration, claiming to be a preacher. He heads to the town of his old cellmate, looking for his family and a stack of cash the old cellmate hid before he was brought in. The film opens with a children’s Sunday school service. The Sunday school teacher tells the children to be aware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. And that’s exactly what Preacher Powell is. A wolf looking for prey with no consequence or concern for who his actions will harm.

He eventually ends up marrying his old cellmate’s widow, aiming to get as close as he can to the money. While his new wife is utterly duped by Powell’s con, the children are not. They can see through his ruse and understand this man is only out for evil. He’s no preacher at all but a wolf roaming their quiet little town. Using the Lord’s name in vain in search of worldly possessions. They try to warn their mother, but it’s too late. Powell kills their mother and chases the children away, looking for the money.

Themes

Narratively, it’s an explosive story and one that feels primed for a film or novel. And while that can be said of many films that get made, few are made as expertly as The Night of the Hunter. Mitchum plays the character of Harry Powell to perfection. He’s charming and charismatic, full of Christian sayings and wise old adages, but upon closer inspection, they mean nothing. It’s easy to see how the townspeople could be taken by this man with his charm and ability to always know the right thing to say. It’s a tough act to play, but Mitchum is excellent, feeling sweet and charming one moment and slimy and dangerous the next.

The children also do a fantastic job, specifically Billy Chapin as John Harper. Chapin has a tough role as he has to be the wise one. He is the protector not just of the money his father left, but also of his younger sister Pearl. He can see his mother falling deeper and deeper under Powell’s spell, and he knows he’s the only one who can protect Pearl. A job he takes seriously throughout the film.

Lasting Impact

All of these ideas, the narrative, the blocking, and the score, all work perfectly together. The acting is superb, but it’s more than just that. Laughton as an actor had an idea of what a film should look like both behind and in front of the camera. He was able to capture that in a way few directors really can.

Oftentimes times actors are some of the best directors. Just look at this film and the aforementioned Citizen Kane. It’s because I believe that after years and years on sets, understanding the medium, when they finally get their chance to make their own film, they are already ten steps ahead. They know what a movie should look and sound like, and they can portray that vision better than most. The Night of the Hunter is a fantastic film and one that really should be required viewing for anyone interested in film.