Night of the Hunter

A surreal parable of good and evil as directed by the famed actor, Charles Laughton.

Your average moviewatcher is already be familiar with the tale of Love & Hate so memorably recited by Robert Mitchum, the hunter:

"Ah, little lad, you're staring at my fingers. Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and evil? H-A-T-E! It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low.
L-O-V-E! You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. The right hand, friends, the hand of love. Now watch, and I'll show you the story of life. Those fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warring and a-tugging, one against the other. Now watch 'em! Old brother left hand, left hand he's a fighting, and it looks like love's a goner. But wait a minute! Hot dog, love's a winning! Yessirree! It's love that's won, and old left hand hate is down for the count!"

The cinematography is beautifully crated in B/W with deceptively simple mythical storybook quality. The light is at times diffused and twinkling with brilliance when the fleeing children find refuge with righteous, truly god fearing Lillian Gish.

Strong performances by Gish, Shelley Winters ( she makes the loveliest mermaid) and even the semi-annoying moppet children make this movie a true classic of the dangers of the night and of strangers.

Robert Mitchum, in his best characterization, is the false preacher chasing a hidden fortune and children through the dark. He is menacing, calculating and utterly terrifying in his pathological determination for wealth.

This is movie not to be watched alone. It is chilling reminder of the horrors are not always dark nor ugly but common and attractive.