This movie was entertaining and interesting but not one of my favorite for this year. Not too bad---good performance. I fast forwarded a lot but not all the way.

the best black and white film ever? It's an art film that is also very suspenseful. The use of Black and white is powerful, and ironic since the film comments on black and white thinking, such as that of the apish hunter Mitchum plays, who is literal minded, and needs the writing on the wall (hand) to guide him to the fast food. slow, symbolic film invites thought-- not the taste of the fast food crowd. Those who are offended at the fact of humans related to apes (that's 45% of Americans) should credit gorillas with being vegetarians, while the Mitchum character and other humans of his ilk are sadistic blood thirsty killers. Really, the comparison is an insult to gorillas.

“Night of the Hunter” is now listed by various institutions as one of the greatest films of all time. It is the only film directed by the great British actor, Charles Laughton with the evil protagonist played by Robert Mitchum in one of his greatest roles ever. The style of the film is that of German Expressionism and some of the scenes stick with you for years. Who can forget the knuckles with L-O-V-E on one hand and H-A-T-E on the other, possibly suggesting that there is some of both in each human? Who can forget the scene of the car at the bottom of the lake? Or the evil man, howling in the night, as he looks for his victims? If you are really interested, get the 2 disc Criterion version, which includes documentaries of how the film was made and almost not made. This film is a true labor of love.

Don't waste your time, overacted, cheesy, and corney. Great cast, but ridiculous in so many scenes with close up of frogs, rabbits and owls and silly singing.

Mitchum is a very bad man in this - he does it well - some of the other characters are also nicely drawn - especially the work of Shelley Winters as the confused, marginalized, overworked woman

Leaning ;)

Charles Laughton's only film as director is a masterpiece of post-World War II cinema. Matching the searing intensity of its lead performances is the magnificent black-and-white cinematography of Stanley Cortez ("The Magnificent Ambersons"). Despite necessary censorship compromises, it remains a terrifying psychological drama. The "singing children" contribute to the unsettling atmosphere of fear, fanaticism, ignorance and violence and Laughton masterfully balances the dark tension with visually poetic images.

In previous movies, Mitchum was beaten over the head to point of brain damage and shot; driven backward in a convertible over a cliff; and shot in the crotch, which caused him to crash his car (it would, wouldn't it?), all by women. Think he might have a grudge against the gentle ladies? When we meet him in NotH, he has killed 12, 13, who's counting? Mitchum is one of the few actors who can make my hair stand on end, just by looking. As for the rest of the film, Laughton gets some good performances, especially from the children. And he's trying something different, a modern folktale, and that's hard to grudge people who have been through the Depression and WWII. But by the end, you may be good and tired of singing children, and cameos by the beasts of the field.

Hmm, this printed twice, I wonder why? It gives me the opportunity to say the L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E tatoos are still cool.

Just the sight of Shirley Winters under water with her throat slit will give you nightmares. But add in Robert Mitchum's excellent villain with two little innocent kids and one feisty old lady and you have one great story.