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lemonmerchant 's review for:
The Night of the Hunter: A Thriller
by Davis Grubb
“For it was more than his life and hers; it was that solemn child’s oath that he had taken that day in the tall grass by the feet of his doomed and bleeding father.”
-Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter
Davis Grubb’s heart-wrenching novel seems all but forgotten since Robert Mitchum’s portrayal of the menacing Preacher Harry Powell hit the screen in 1955’s The Night of the Hunter . Lauded as one of cinema’s greatest villains, his staggering presence cast a looming shadow over the source material as well as its remarkable heroes. A shame, since the exquisite Southern Gothic actually ups the ante on terror with page-turning insight into John Harper’s (Billy Chapin) fragile psyche as he endeavors to abide the sins of his father. Tirelessly safeguarding his little sister, Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce), and his oath not to reveal the whereabouts of the stolen money his father killed and hanged for, John’s journey feels even more grim in Grubb’s beautifully lyrical prose.
Still, it’s undeniable that Charles Laughton’s extraordinary vision produced one of cinema’s most outstanding book-to-film adaptations. Having spent most his life working as an actor on stage and screen (The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mutiny on the Bounty), the black and white thriller remains Laughton’s one and only directorial effort. A box-office failure upon release, the film received none of the praise it does today for its striking expressionistic style. Adapted by author and screenwriter James Agee and shot by cinematographer Stanley Cortez, budget limitations gave way to the feature's unconventional silent era aesthetic, causing it to stand out from the typical Hollywood fare of the fifties. With striking visuals, a touch of melodrama, sometimes cartoonish humor, and a stellar cast working in perfect harmony, Laughton’s one-time in the director’s seat is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Read full review on the book and film here
-Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter
Davis Grubb’s heart-wrenching novel seems all but forgotten since Robert Mitchum’s portrayal of the menacing Preacher Harry Powell hit the screen in 1955’s The Night of the Hunter . Lauded as one of cinema’s greatest villains, his staggering presence cast a looming shadow over the source material as well as its remarkable heroes. A shame, since the exquisite Southern Gothic actually ups the ante on terror with page-turning insight into John Harper’s (Billy Chapin) fragile psyche as he endeavors to abide the sins of his father. Tirelessly safeguarding his little sister, Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce), and his oath not to reveal the whereabouts of the stolen money his father killed and hanged for, John’s journey feels even more grim in Grubb’s beautifully lyrical prose.
Still, it’s undeniable that Charles Laughton’s extraordinary vision produced one of cinema’s most outstanding book-to-film adaptations. Having spent most his life working as an actor on stage and screen (The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mutiny on the Bounty), the black and white thriller remains Laughton’s one and only directorial effort. A box-office failure upon release, the film received none of the praise it does today for its striking expressionistic style. Adapted by author and screenwriter James Agee and shot by cinematographer Stanley Cortez, budget limitations gave way to the feature's unconventional silent era aesthetic, causing it to stand out from the typical Hollywood fare of the fifties. With striking visuals, a touch of melodrama, sometimes cartoonish humor, and a stellar cast working in perfect harmony, Laughton’s one-time in the director’s seat is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Read full review on the book and film here