Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter was a dramatic piece, where I felt real emotions towards the characters, becoming invested in their development
What I noted from the start was the use of extremely dramatic scenes, immediately setting the scene for a dramatic, intense thriller, a tone that is kept and even intensified throughout.
The sudden train pulling in and the looming shadow of a man offer a perfectly chilling introduction to the awful preacher that had me on edge throughout the film.
Robert Michum's acting this piece was brilliant. His portrayal of a sinister, creepy, truly awful man was spine tingling. I found myself both nervous and frustrated every time he appeared on screen. The clever use of camera angles also worked alongside the actor to produce this chilling persona with the camera often sitting at the children's height, making Harry appear taller, more powerful, an intimidating, dominating figure.
The dramatic images loom throughout the film, building the suspense. The tragic moment we see the children's mother at the bottom of the lake was perfectly captured. A tragic image of beauty contrasted with devastation, despair and destruction.
The natural images throughout were also something that stood out to me as I wondered the symbolism behind them. Perhaps images of inescapability and symbols of predator and prey, again tragic images that add to the dramatic, intense atmosphere.
This 1955 thriller built suspense, created drama and crafted terrifying characters. Although the original reception was harsh, leading to this being Laughton's only film that he directed, this movie is now considered a masterpiece of cinematography and has introduced elements into the horror and thriller genres that it should forever be noted for.
Comentarios