The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter

            Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter is one of those films that frightens the audience without anything too graphic or scary jumping out. This film displays more of a “this could really have happened” story, and aren’t those the scariest movies of all? In class we discussed Calder Williams thoughts about the genre of this movie. Williams claims that Night of the Hunter is a variety of genres all thrown together. I believe that this idea is potentially true, but I would like to reflect on the reasons why it is not a valid argument.

            Within the first few minutes of the movie, we see Harry driving down a long road speaking to God. All of this would be normal, as he is a pastor, however, the subject of the conversation is concerning. Harry openly admits to using widows’ money to get ahead in life and believing that God puts them in his way in order to survive. Strike one. This initial conversation with God makes the audience feel uneasy about his presence. Then to watch Ben Harper come home having stolen money, the tension begins to build and the audience knows that something is going to go wrong.    

            Of course, when Harry comes to town and immediately is introduced to Willa, the audience’s predictions have come true and they are getting married. The way Harry speaks to Willa on their wedding night is a clear indicator that this relationship is going to become abusive rather quickly, as it does. As their “marriage” develops, the relationship Harry has with the children becomes frightening as well. He tricks Willa into thinking John is lying multiple times. This becomes a very real scenario in which a new stepfather ruins the relationship a mother has with their children. Eventually leading to Willa’s death, Harry becomes more and more abusive, a fear that many people experience their entire lives. Strike two.

            When Harry becomes so out of control that he forces John and Pearl to get into a boat and float down the river, this is potentially the scariest part of the movie. I say this because two children floating down a river alone is dangerous, but being picked up by a strange woman who does not have a husband in this time period would have been terrifying as well. What is she was a witch that would feed the children candy to fatten them up and then cooked them? Oh wait, that’s Hansel and Gretel. Regardless, a woman without a husband was clearly something questionable to the people in this movie and I know I was expecting her to be someone dangerous as well.

            After they move in with Mrs. Cooper, Harry appears once again. He just seems more and more like a stalker going on throughout this movie. The entirety of the final scenes with Harry near John and Pearl again was simply eerie. The way he would sit in the front yard just waiting for them is one of my reoccurring nightmares, strange men waiting to kill unless they are given what they want. Strike three.  

            This film was a horror film to me because all of the things Laughton wants you to be afraid of, are things that very possibly happen to real people all the time. In my opinion, movies about zombies or ghosts are as scary as the simple evils that people experience in their lives.