Harry powell robert mitchum is a religious fanatic and serial killer who targets women who use their sexuality to attract men. Former orson welles collaborator stanley cortezs vivid blackandwhite cinematography perfectly accentuates the films mood, especially the use of shadows and formalist lighting. Rent the night of the hunter 1955 on dvd and bluray. Featuring robert mitchums formidable performance as a childhunting preacher, the night of the hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil. Its screenplay was cowritten by charles laughton and james agee, and it was the only directorial effort by laughton. The night of the hunter 1955 actor charles laughtons only film as a director is a complete oneoff, a terrifying parable of the corruption of innocence featuring a careerbest performance from robert mitchum. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the the night of the hunter film article. The night of the hunter film by laughton 1955 britannica. Adapted by james agee from a novel by davis grubb, the night of the hunter represented legendary actor charles laughtons only film directing effort. The night of the hunter 1955 cast and crew moviefone. The night of the hunter 1955 trailer the criterion. Charles laughton reads the night of the hunter duration.
Screenplay by james agee, based on the novel by davis grubb. If we take a closer look at each shot, we can see that every shot has a meaning behind it, nothing is left to chance, personally this is the strongest point of the. The setting for the night of the hunter is cresaps landing, a small town on the banks of the ohio river, which has recently been shocked by a killing during a robbery carried out by ben harper peter graves who now awaits execution, meanwhile sharing a cell with preacher harry powell mitchum. The night of the hunter is nearly as demented as its lead villain, and i mean that as a compliment. Robert mitchum is iconically sinister as the charlatan preacher who visits violence upon a widow winters and her two children, whom he believes are concealing a stash of. The night of the hunter is recognized by most critics and hard core film buffs as one of the most extraordinary movies ever made, but sadly its still frequently overlooked by the many movie fans, probably because its so difficult to categorize. The night of the hunter 1955 film noir of the week. Hear classic music from the night of the hunter, 1955, directed by charles laughton, with robert mitchum, shelley winters, lillian gish, at tcm. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly, they are ravening wolves. And as the only film directed by actor charles laughton, its very existence is somewhat haunting. It is one of the best case studies in villainy ever committed to film.
Many great movies are by great directors, but laughton directed only this one film, which was a critical and commercial failure long overshadowed. The night of the hunter 1955 the criterion collection special edition bluray towering above all others. Charles laughton never directed another film after this chilling masterpiece of psychological horror, making the night of the hunter one of the great oneoffs in movie history. Its a shame charles laughton never directed another film. A weathered lieutenant, his police force, and a local vigilante are all caught up in a dangerous scheme involving a recently arrested, troubled man whos linked to years of female abductions and murders. He sets his sites on a woman played by shelly winters because her dead husband robbed a bank and buried the loot somewhere on the. But greater than them all is the impact of the motion picture itself. The night of the hunter 1955 is a truly compelling, haunting, and frightening classic masterpiece thrillerfantasy, and the only film ever directed by the great british actor charles laughton. The night of the hunter, american crime thriller, released in 1955, that is regarded as a masterpiece of tone and suspense. Night of the hunter tv is a film directed by david greene with richard chamberlain, diana scarwid, amy bebout, reid binion, year. Watch the night of the hunter online 1955 movie yidio. Filmaffinity is a movie recommendation site based on the concept of movie soulmates. Combining stark realism with germanic expressionism, the movie is a brilliant goodandevil parable, with good represented by a couple of farm kids and a pious old lady, and evil literally in the hands of a posturing psychopath. In the night of the hunter, mitchum plays preacher harry powell a charismatic pretender who seduces and murders in order to get at a fortune stashed by a convict named harper.
You have to put the night of the hunter near the top of the list, if not at the very top. Nomis follows marshall henry cavill, a weathered lieutenant, and his police force as they investigate a string of female abductions and murders linked to an online predator. However, it is my claim that the film conforms to some of the most important and radical aspects of french critics raymond borde. Who can forget that famous underwater scene wherein a dead womans body sits upright in a car with her hair flowing along the current like seaweed, accompanied by background music that is so dreamlike. Stills must not be reproduced, copied or downloaded in any way. Director jacques tourneur, a veteran of the val lewton unit at rko in the 1940s, conjures that old magic anew in this devilish yarn. Night of the hunter opens in the stars, where rachel cooper lillian gish tells the children and the audience a southern gothic parable regarding the importance of childhood and the dangers of wolves in sheeps clothing. Perhaps im forgetting something obvious email me an alternative choice, but my vote goes to the night of the hunter 1955, playing at the brattle january 1820 in a newly restored 35mm print. With henry cavill, ben kingsley, alexandra daddario, stanley tucci. Perhaps the greatest oneoff film of all time, charles laughtons sole directorial effort is a childseye parable of good versus evil. The night of the hunter is a 1955 american thriller film directed by charles laughton, and starring robert mitchum, shelley winters, and lillian gish. The night of the hunter is a classic american thriller from 1955. Grubb sketched how scenes should look, helped rewrite the screenplay, created lullaby lyrics, and so on.
Rent the night of the hunter 1955 starring robert mitchum and shelley winters on dvd and bluray. Film notes the night of the hunter university at albany. In his linernotes essay for the essential new criterion dvd, critic terrance rafferty. The american gothic, biblical tale of greed, innocence, seduction, sin and corruption was adapted for the. The night of the hunter, starring robert mitchum, shelley winters, and lillian gish, is truly a standalone masterwork. Agee must have been surprised, then, at the performance mitchum gave in agees script from davis grubbs novel, the night of the hunter. Several children play hide and go seek near a farmhouse. Charles laughtons the night of the hunter 1955 is one of the greatest of all american films, but has never received the attention it deserves because of its lack of the proper trappings. Robert mitchum is at his most menacing as an excon disguised as a preacher, romancing and marrying a lonely widow shelley winters with the plans of murdering her and her two sweet children, and then digging up her. The novel and film draw on the true story of harry powers who was hanged in 1932 for the murder of two w.
Yes, its a thriller but its also a childs nightmare. Some of the images in the night of the hunter are so enthralling that they will live on in the collective mind as long as cinema exists. This text is immediately contrasted with another one. Having in mind that it was a film from 1955, their use of light is incredible. With robert mitchum, shelley winters, lillian gish. Night hunter official trailer 2019 alexandra daddario, henry cavill movie hd subscribe to rapid trailer for all the latest movie trailers. The night of the hunter incredibly, was the only film the great actor charles laughton ever directed and is truly a. Robert mitchum plays the preacher of one of those secret, strange religious sects.
A restored version of charles laughtons sole directorial outing, starring the brilliant robert mitchum, shows the movie has lost. Few films reach the level of magnificence and genius as the suspenseful, alternately lyrical and visually jarring american gothic creepfest, the night of the hunter. Many great movies are by great directors, but laughton directed only this one film, which was a critical and commercial failure long overshadowed by his acting career. Around the 1970s movie goers began to embrace foreign and more artistic films. Im good for something in this world and i know it too. The night of the hunter 1955 12a im a strong tree with branches for many birds. The night of the hunter 1955 a sdg blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see god, quotes lillian gish at the very beginning of charles laughtons lone directorial effort, the night of the hunter.
Nomis is a film directed by david raymond klein with henry cavill, alexandra daddario, ben kingsley, stanley tucci, year. Country united states director charles laughton screenwriter. Graced by images of eerie beauty and a sneaky sense of humor, this ethereal. The night of the hunter is a 1955 film about a sinister crook, posing as a preacher, who pursues two children for the secret they are privy to. A horror movie with qualities of a grimm fairy tale, it stars a sublimely sinister robert mitchum as a traveling preacher named harry powell he of the tattooed knuckles, whose nefarious motives for marrying a fragile widow, played by shelley winters, are. This is one weird, troubling movie, all the more so for being released in 1955. The night of the hunterincredibly, the only film the great actor charles laughton ever directedis truly a standalone masterwork.
Gregory discovered the bestselling southern gothic novel, the night of the hunter, poetic, symbolic, and suspenseful. Night hunter official trailer 2019 alexandra daddario. Written by james agee and charles laughton, based on the novel by davis grubb. The night of the hunter film has been listed as a level5 vital article in art. Truffaut asks hitchcock about the night of the hunter, which the latter admits hes never seen. The night of the hunter still haunts me, and to this day i am not sure if i pursued it in the normal way, or if on some deeper, unknown level like the forces of good and evil it evokes it. The screenplay by james agee was based on the 1953 novel of the same title by davis grubb. We are an independent movie lovers club worldwide with 646.
The night of the hunter year 1955 running time 93 min. He not only secured the rights, he got author davis grubbs enthusiastic cooperation. Inspired by the true story of depressionera serial killer harry powers, the night of the hunter, first published in 1953, is an oldtimey thriller featuring the dynamic, psychopathic, mercenary preacher, whose name is changed to harry powell for the novel. Surrealistic in style, the story concerns two young. On a trip to england, an american psychologist finds his scepticism of all things occult put to the test when he investigates the death of an old colleague.
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