1955—Charles Laughton, director—starring Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish
The Night of the Hunter, about a killer who marries and then murders his former cellmate’s widow, and then threatens the lives of her children as he seeks to get his hands on some stolen cash, is unique in more than one way. It was Charles Laughton’s first and only film as a director: poor reviews discouraged him from a second attempt. And it is unusually lyrical (particularly for a thriller) and innovative in its use of music, with sections of the movie having a dreamlike quality. In its 2008 list of “the most beautiful films”, Cahiers du cinema ranked The Night of the Hunter second (just after Citizen Kane).
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Run Time: 92 Min.
Language: English
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