Response 4, power in The Night of the Hunter

     I believe The Night of the Hunter is very much a commentary on power and the relationship power has to wealth. The Great Depression is a great vehicle for the comments the film makes. In other words, in a time when money was scarce, what else could serve to distinguish the powerful? The film is split into three main sections, each with it's own genre influence. Each of these sections makes a separate comment on power and wealth which, when contrasted with the other two, shows the film's overall view.

     Aside from the very first few scenes, much of the beginning of the film is portrayed with a Gothic sensibility. Harry is a preacher/serial killer. He believes fully in the power of God and, therefore, his own power. Yet he realizes that his inherent power means nothing without money. In fact, he believes God recognizes this as well and has sent him to retrieve the $10,000. From the beginning of the film the ideas of power and money are intertwined. Harry, and many of the buildings for that matter, are shot from a generally low angle. This gives his character a domineering quality. No matter how much we like or dislike him, we are inclined to take what he says seriously. The townspeople also all seem to do so. Ivy Spoon, for example, is helpful to Harry from the moment she knows him. For her, his lack of money means nothing to the power of his words. However, this is in direct contrast to Harry's own view. The comment of the first section of the film is directly related to their contrasting viewpoints. In someways it raises the question: how can Harry's power control the town when he believes he has yet to gain said power?

     The second third of the film starts right after the children narrowly escape Harry. As I mentioned in class, this seems to happen as they sail through and out of the spider's web in the foreground of the shot. The film transforms from a Gothic style to more of an adventure style. Much of the scenes depict the openness of the night sky and a connection between humans and nature. Yet the connection between power and money also remains. Take, for example, the scene where the kids are each given a potato by the unnamed farm women. She expresses displeasure at only being able to give them a single potato each. It is heavily implied that she has no money to be giving out, and, in conjunction with her own admission of being unable to help, she is essentially saying she doesn't have the power to help. Here the second section of the film is almost contradicting the first. The woman believes she doesn't have power (much like Harry), but because she admits so openly, she is unable to keep a facade of power.

    The last third of the film starts with Ms. Cooper. The children arrive at her house and are taken in right away. Ms. Cooper clearly has some form of power. She is known within the community, trusted to raise others' children, and is able to keep herself afloat financially during such troubling times. In fact, the sort of power she has is much like Harry's power in that it comes without the influence of money and is also tied to religion. The obvious difference between Harry and Ms. Cooper is the desire for money and power. Where Harry believes power is derived from money, Ms. Cooper recognizes that money leads to power, but doesn't necessarily predict it. This last third of the film is generally done with a noir style. Ruby fits the character of the 'modern' woman in a noir film. She is beautiful, outspoken, and non-traditional yet she still seems to requires a man to provide for her. Here we see the third sort of power, one that is physically/sexually based. Ruby holds this power over the young men she encounters as well as Harry. In an ironic way, she uses her power (attraction) to detract from Harry's power (his wallet) inadvertently leading Harry into the clutches of Ms. Cooper's power (respect) and ultimately his own capture.

     The Night of the Hunter combines these three forms of power: money, recognition/respect, and attractiveness. With it's events taking place during the Great Depression, the film gives it's audience the chance to question their own views of power and how those interact with post-depression American society. In some ways, Harry represents the power ideals prior to the depression; money reigned strong before the market collapse. Ruby represents a middle point of power where both wealth and status lend themselves to it. Ms. Cooper represents a final type of power; the power of recognition or earned respect from those around you.