Post by klep on May 23, 2016 6:37:42 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for5/23: The Night of the Hunter
While highly regarded now, Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort The Night of the Hunter was a critical and commercial failure upon release. It's not hard to see why. It's a deeply weird film, full of contradictory tones and surreal imagery. It's part nightmare and part Norman Rockwell painting. There are images of brightest Americana contrasted with the sharp shadows of German Expressionism. When the children go on the run down the river, the film takes on a very surreal, dreamlike quality accentuated by the fact that it is obviously done on sets. It can understandably be difficult to get on the film's wavelength, but the effort is well worth it.
Ultimately The Night of the Hunter is a simple morality tale, in which a small community of good, god-fearing folk fall to the charms of a serial killer presenting himself as a priest (Harry Powell, played by Robert Mitchum). He marries a young widow in order to find the stolen money her husband hid before he was executed for murder, which is a secret only her two kids know. Beware the wolf in sheep's' clothing, the film warns, though it is additionally the tale Harry tells of Love and Hate writ large. His tattooed fingers are a familiar sight in film and on TV these days, but it was this film that made them a part of the culture.
Mitchum is a terrifying menace. His silken voice carries a gravelly menace to it, and he is always lit such that despite the brightness, he has a shroud of dark about him (the film was shot by Stanley Cortez of The Magnificent Ambersons). He's pleasant, but with a constant air of menace below the surface, occasionally letting his rage shine through. His pleasant crooning of "CHILLLdrenn..." is simultaneously alluring and horrifying, and he is a model for horror villains for decades to come. His pursuit of the children in the back half of the film is more than a little like that of the creature in last year's It Follows and much like that of the monster in your nightmares. No matter how far you go, he always seems to be right behind you, plodding steadily along, and if you ever let your guard down he will get you.
Contrasting with Mitchum is the old silent film star Lilian Gish, playing the kindly Mrs. Cooper who takes in the kids on the run and gives them a home. She is the polar opposite of Harry Powell, kindly and generous where Powell is greedy and hateful. She is the L-O-V-E to Powell's H-A-T-E, and true to Powell's tale she wins in the end.
But this is a film told in images as much as through story, and it's difficult to convey its power through words alone. So what are your favorite shots from the film? Share them and any thoughts you have in the comments, I'd love to see them.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/30: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
When voting closed last night it was a tie between this and Breaking The Waves, but I'm giving the edge to this in part for being a bit more generally accessible (more people seem to have Netflix than Hulu+) and shorter. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover is available on Netflix Instant and for rent on Amazon Instant Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/18: Captain America: Civil War
On Wednesday we'll have a day to discuss the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how far it has come since its beginnings. Civil War is still in theaters.
And don't forget that June is MUSICALS MONTH! When Movie of the Week nominations open on Thursday, we'll only be accepting musicals into the final voting. Be thinking about ones you'd like to cover, and remember that we've already done Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
While highly regarded now, Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort The Night of the Hunter was a critical and commercial failure upon release. It's not hard to see why. It's a deeply weird film, full of contradictory tones and surreal imagery. It's part nightmare and part Norman Rockwell painting. There are images of brightest Americana contrasted with the sharp shadows of German Expressionism. When the children go on the run down the river, the film takes on a very surreal, dreamlike quality accentuated by the fact that it is obviously done on sets. It can understandably be difficult to get on the film's wavelength, but the effort is well worth it.
Ultimately The Night of the Hunter is a simple morality tale, in which a small community of good, god-fearing folk fall to the charms of a serial killer presenting himself as a priest (Harry Powell, played by Robert Mitchum). He marries a young widow in order to find the stolen money her husband hid before he was executed for murder, which is a secret only her two kids know. Beware the wolf in sheep's' clothing, the film warns, though it is additionally the tale Harry tells of Love and Hate writ large. His tattooed fingers are a familiar sight in film and on TV these days, but it was this film that made them a part of the culture.
Mitchum is a terrifying menace. His silken voice carries a gravelly menace to it, and he is always lit such that despite the brightness, he has a shroud of dark about him (the film was shot by Stanley Cortez of The Magnificent Ambersons). He's pleasant, but with a constant air of menace below the surface, occasionally letting his rage shine through. His pleasant crooning of "CHILLLdrenn..." is simultaneously alluring and horrifying, and he is a model for horror villains for decades to come. His pursuit of the children in the back half of the film is more than a little like that of the creature in last year's It Follows and much like that of the monster in your nightmares. No matter how far you go, he always seems to be right behind you, plodding steadily along, and if you ever let your guard down he will get you.
Contrasting with Mitchum is the old silent film star Lilian Gish, playing the kindly Mrs. Cooper who takes in the kids on the run and gives them a home. She is the polar opposite of Harry Powell, kindly and generous where Powell is greedy and hateful. She is the L-O-V-E to Powell's H-A-T-E, and true to Powell's tale she wins in the end.
But this is a film told in images as much as through story, and it's difficult to convey its power through words alone. So what are your favorite shots from the film? Share them and any thoughts you have in the comments, I'd love to see them.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 6/30: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
When voting closed last night it was a tie between this and Breaking The Waves, but I'm giving the edge to this in part for being a bit more generally accessible (more people seem to have Netflix than Hulu+) and shorter. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover is available on Netflix Instant and for rent on Amazon Instant Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/18: Captain America: Civil War
On Wednesday we'll have a day to discuss the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how far it has come since its beginnings. Civil War is still in theaters.
And don't forget that June is MUSICALS MONTH! When Movie of the Week nominations open on Thursday, we'll only be accepting musicals into the final voting. Be thinking about ones you'd like to cover, and remember that we've already done Umbrellas of Cherbourg.