The Night of the Hunter

Stefen · March 23, 2011, 12:52:21 PM

Watched it for the first time last night.

It's easily one of the best movies I have EVER seen.

How did something like this even get made in that time period? It's so dark and sinister. Just everything about it is creepy and scary. It was like Hansel and Gretel or something. Just a dark, dark tale. Rev. Harry Powell belongs at the top of any best villains list. PERFECT. The way he brainwashes Willa was whoa. His charm just puts everyone under his spell.

Any other fans?

I had some questions...with spoilers, so if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. It's perfect.

SPOILERS...
What was up with the opening of the movie? When Rachel is reading to those kids from the bible(?) Is that supposed to be heaven and does that mean she ended up dying?

When John and Pearl are on the run from Powell, Pearl knows Powell is a bad man, but when he shows up after they already get to Rachel's house, Pearl runs right to him and grabs his hand like she's happy to see him. Doesn't she know he's evil and only after the money she's hiding in her doll? She's gotta know he was the reason they were on the run. Even if she is young.

End Spoilers.

That scene where the kids are hiding out in the barn and they are watching Powell in the distance while he's on the horse as he's signing in the moonlight sent chills down my spine. Can't remember the last time that has happened. WOW.

And the look of it? It's just beautiful the way it used shadows. My knowledge of older films is pretty limited so maybe that's just the way movies were made at that time, but it was filmed so well. One of the best photographed movies I can recall ever seeing.

modage · March 23, 2011, 01:45:58 PM

I saw this a few years ago and thought the same thing "how the hell did this get made?" but really loved it. Was planning on watching sometime soon with my gf so hopefully I'll have more to add then.

wilder · March 23, 2011, 04:08:49 PM

Maybe my favorite movie.

Quote from Stefen:

And the look of it? It's just beautiful the way it used shadows. My knowledge of older films is pretty limited so maybe that's just the way movies were made at that time, but it was filmed so well. One of the best photographed movies I can recall ever seeing.

Night of the Hunter is a bit of an anomaly, there's nothing else quite like it. I believe Charles Laughton wanted to emulate the visual style of films from the silent era and specifically of D.W. Griffith. The Criterion that was released a few months ago is loaded to the brim with documentaries. If you have any first-borns lying around I'd sell em quick.

tpfkabi · March 23, 2011, 04:26:48 PM

I end up watching most of it any time it comes on TCM.

That one real surreal scene after they have gotten away from the boat with all those random animals coming to the foreground is really cool. They don't even try to hide the fact that it's a stage, but it's still cool. I have wondered if that inspired some similar scenes Michel Gondry has shot - one of his Bjork videos and in Human Nature.

Gold Trumpet · March 23, 2011, 08:13:12 PM

Very happy to hear these good reviews and new feelings. The film was written by James Agee. He's one of my favorite writers and someone who wanted to be doing movies instead of books. While his book, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, is one the most ambitious and structurally challenging books of the last century, you can tell his heart was always in film. He wrote great reviews of movies in the 1940s. A great accomplish for his reviewing talent is that for his 1941 review of Citizen Kane, he focused on the film for its stylistic influences from other countries and time periods. Before academics could codify this, Agee made it very understandable in his two early reviews (the film warranted two pieces by him) and he had a lot of critical imagination to spare. I still love to read it and other pieces by him. After the dropping of the Atomic Bomb in 1945, he wrote the most famous piece about the event in America for Time Magazine. The prose is almost poetic. I recommend it as well because it breaks my heart.

Anyways, he wanted to be in movies, but he was born before he could grow up with movies. He also drank too much and died in his 40s. Still, I'm a huge fan and have backlogged his life for the past 7 years.

wilder · March 23, 2011, 08:18:04 PM

I've been meaning to read this book for years:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Agee-Writing-Selected-Journalism/dp/1931082820/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1300928985&sr=8-4

Have you read it, GT? Would you recommend it?

Gold Trumpet · March 23, 2011, 08:32:21 PM

I don't have that book. Years ago, Martin Scorsese introduced re-publishing of a series of film books. One of them was "Agee on Film". I have that book and the other articles I mentioned, I found them elsewhere. However, I would recommend your asked about book because I believe it includes the article on the Atomic Bomb and lots of other good material. However, if you want more of his film writing, go for Agee on Film too.

I Love a Magician · March 23, 2011, 11:12:28 PM

saw this last weekend as part of this film series in nashville. was maybe too bizarre for me to appreciate completely on first viewing but it was beautiful to see in the theater. this shot was pretty

(P's note: it's also a bit of a spoiler so I've put it in a link)

ALSO SAW 'a face in the crowd' which was great

Reel · March 23, 2011, 11:49:11 PM

I noticed one day that this lady had "HATE" tattooed on the knuckles of her left hand. I thought "Hey, that's a cool 'Night of the Hunter' reference going on there" but then I looked at her other hand, and there was no LOVE, she just had HATE. I decided not to talk to her about it..

tpfkabi · March 24, 2011, 10:21:22 AM

A Face in the Crowd is another that I end up watching when it comes on TCM.
I had no idea Andy Griffith had that in him. That movie is outstanding.

72teeth · October 22, 2011, 07:47:27 PM

I really, really am considering "love/hate" knuckle tats... ive already given myself an ankle tat (3 letters, not gang related, just drunk related) so money is not the issue... and if i did get them, i'd have The Story of Left Hand, Right Hand down to a tee, so if anyone asked me what they meant, i could just breakout in that beautiful monologue... its just a matter of that kind of commitment that makes me think twice. Am i even going to be straight 10 years from now? I swear i'll always love movies though...

Stefen · October 22, 2011, 07:58:49 PM

Do it, 72teeth. DO IT.

72teeth · October 22, 2011, 08:10:25 PM

OFuck! Set myself up for that one

... keep yall posted.

Reel · October 23, 2011, 04:29:24 AM

Quote from: 72teeth on October 22, 2011, 07:47:27 PM
Am i even going to be straight 10 years from now?

Did Blue Valentine make you start questioning your sexuality? Of course you'll be straight. Well, maybe. I don't know you. Unless you meant abstaining from drugs and alcohol, in that case you never can tell. The real important question is if your gonna need a job ten years from now..

72teeth · October 23, 2011, 02:41:52 PM

Quote from: Reelist on October 23, 2011, 04:29:24 AM
Quote from: 72teeth on October 22, 2011, 07:47:27 PM
Am i even going to be straight 10 years from now?

Did Blue Valentine make you start questioning your sexuality? Of course you'll be straight. Well, maybe. I don't know you. Unless you meant abstaining from drugs and alcohol, in that case you never can tell. The real important question is if your gonna need a job ten years from now..

BV didn't gay me, i've just had life prove to me (more than a couple times) that N-E-THING can happen... and yeah, the whole job thing is the big hold up, especially since im trying to be a middleschool guidance counselor