Die Nacht des Jägers (1955)

Die Nacht des Jägers: Directed by Charles Laughton. With Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason. A religious fanatic marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid the $10,000 he’d stolen in a robbery.

“Veteran actor Charles Laughtonu0026#39;s directional debut u0026amp; perhaps the only feature film he ever directed is a rare breed that blends film-noir with German expressionism, resulting in a very unique looking cinema that unfolds its narrative in a lyrical manner but also makes up for some weird moments as the two styles are often at odds with each other.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBased on the novel of the same name, the story of The Night of the Hunter focuses on one corrupt reverend-turned-serial killer who uses his charm to woo rich widows before killing them u0026amp; fleeing with their money. Jailed for driving a stolen car, he learns from his cell mate about the large sum of money he had stolen u0026amp; goes after his family once heu0026#39;s out of prison.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCo-written u0026amp; directed by Charles Laughton, The Night of the Hunter really benefits from the few elements it borrows from German expressionism of the silent era like eccentric camera angles, unconventional settings, surreal photography or silhouette figures but its inclusion of stylised dialogues u0026amp; unrealistic acting in a Hollywood crime-drama is also unintentionally hilarious at times.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eProduction design work is excellent, Cinematography makes terrific use of lighting, contrast u0026amp; shadows, camera placement is inventive u0026amp; every frame is captured in crisp detail. Editing is brilliant for the most part but its final act also feels overstretched, and performances are a mixed bag for the kids do a pretty good job in their given roles while Robert Mitchumu0026#39;s expressionist act borders on hamming.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOn an overall scale, The Night of the Hunter is experimental cinema at its finest for it tries to merge into film-noir what influenced the genre in the first place. From a technical standpoint, the film is influential in every manner, especially the way it uses its camera to set a disturbing mood or introduce its themes but its overstretched ending, excessively dramatic lead act u0026amp; depicted stupidity (or innocence) of children never allowed me to take its premise seriously.”