“The Night of the Hunter” is a 1955 crime thriller directed by Charles Laughton, his only feature film behind the camera. It stars Robert Mitchum as Preacher Harry Powell, a serial killer who poses as a preacher and chases two children to learn where a hidden stash of money is hidden. The film draws on the true story of Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 for murdering two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
Laughton adapted the screenplay from Davis Grubb’s 1953 novel. The result is a Southern Gothic tale set along the Ohio River in Depression-era West Virginia. Powell is released from Moundsville Penitentiary after serving 30 days for stealing a car. He wins over the town and marries Ben Harper’s widow, Willa, played by Shelley Winters. But John, the younger child, senses danger from the start.
Trailer, via CRITERION.
The Preacher’s Game
Mitchum plays Powell with a terrifying presence. He poses as a man of faith to cover his crimes, delivering sermons full of fire and brimstone with a smooth, hypnotic charm. The film’s tagline sums up its central tension: “It’s a hard world for little things.”
The children know where the money is hidden, and Powell will stop at nothing to find it. He murders Willa and sinks her body in the river, claiming she ran away for a life of sin.
A Cast Built Around Two Children
Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce play John and Pearl Harper. They are the film’s emotional center, and Laughton handles their scenes with great tenderness. Lillian Gish appears as Rachel Cooper. Shelley Winters is excellent as Willa, a woman who believes she can reform Powell through love.
James Gleason and Evelyn Varden play Uncle Birdie Steptoe and Icey Spoon. Their quiet desperation gives the film its human scale. The supporting cast is uniformly strong, but the film belongs to Mitchum and the two young leads.
A Style Born of Silent Film
Laughton’s direction borrows heavily from silent cinema. The film moves with a lyricism that feels ahead of its time. The film’s look is distinct from other Hollywood pictures of the era, and it has influenced later directors including Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Robert Altman, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, the Coen brothers, and Guillermo del Toro.
The Reception
The film premiered on July 26, 1955, in Des Moines, Iowa, to poor reviews. Over time, critics have reevaluated the film. In 1992, it was preserved in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”
The film’s reputation grew slowly. Today it is considered one of the greatest films ever made and a defining work of the Southern Gothic genre.
Why It Works
- Mitchum’s performance anchors the film’s horror
- Chapin and Bruce deliver remarkable performances as children
- Laughton’s visual style is distinctive and influential
- The film’s themes remain chillingly relevant
“The Night of the Hunter” is a rare example of a film that improves with age. Its technical ambition and emotional weight are unmatched by anything else from its era. It is a demanding watch, but it repays every minute of attention.
This is a film that rewards patience. It is not comfortable viewing, but it is essential cinema.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
