As much a dark fairy tale full of symbols than a child's nightmare shot in breathtaking B&W, this movie is a real diamond made out of celluloid. Watchning it for the 20th time, I still marvel of the creativity of Laughton and his DP. Spielberg must have copied nearly every shot of this masterpiece. Of course, Mitchum is brilliant, portraying one of the most memorable villain in film history. But the whole cast is just as good, especially the two young ones which are at the center of the plot. If you have never seen The Night of The Hunter, forget your cynicism and your "know-better-grownup-foolishness". Try to recover your childhood innocence again et dive into the legend told on the screen. Sometimes horrifying, sometimes mesmerizing, this astoundingly beautiful picture will lead you in the land of kids fears in an endless quest for love and trust. Be warned: there is only ONE "good" adult character in this story, the one played by the marvelous Lillian Gish. So don't miss the most important shot of the film, when the camera moves from the feet of an unknown woman shouting on the two young heroes, to reveal the face of a wonderful mother... A simple story, with "not so simple" under-lyings. A monument.
Review of The Night of the Hunter
