One of the great scenes from one of the great films. But this is not "film noir". Learn your terminology before you toss it around. "Film noir" is probably the most misused classification by children today.
@ThePSYCHOChannel = Ah, the danger of a little bit of knowledge. Say what you want, but The Night Of The Hunter is not film noir. I've been steeped in film and writing about film for forty years now. I first wrote about The Night Of The Hunter in The Oxford American over fifteen years ago, after decades of watching it. I can tell you what film noir is and what it is not. Just because something is in black and white and has lots of shadows does not make it film noir.
@drummerjoe2610 = Thanks for asking. You're onto part of it. From wiki: Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography.
@RandyThornhorn You've taught me to be very deliberate in punctuating my sentences in the future. That was not a question. I think The Night of the Hunter is a film noir, but it's a facile argument. Since film noir is a term applied after the fact, there is no clear cut definition for what constitutes a film noir, and different film historians think different things. I have nothing against you, but calling people who have an opinion contrary to your own as 'children' is extremely condescending.
@drummerjoe2610 = I meant it to be condescending. I get tired of people throwing around terms they don't understand. Saying that The Night Of The Hunter is "film noir" is like saying Cocteau's Beauty And The Beast is film noir. It just doesn't fit, even by a stretch.
@RandyThornhorn It's all a matter of opinion, I don't think Notorious resembles a noir at all, but many people disagree. And I do think The Night of the Hunter is a noir, which means I fall under your blanket of condescension. All I have to say to that is if you think that there is a right and wrong in a genre that is very much open to interpretation (we're not even sure if it is a genre), then you didn't get much out of writing about film for forty years.
@drummerjoe2610 = They are wrong. Publishers don't know any better and they'll let anybody write and publish film analysis these days. "M" is not film noir either. You'll find that virtually all of the books or articles you've read such things have come from people who published such things in the last twenty to twenty-five years---when all the movie brats started dumping out onto the streets, starry-eyed and half-educated with buzz words they liked to throw around.
@drummerjoe2610 = Contrary to the new internet fanboy mentality---all things in life in general and film in particular are not just "opinion" and all opinions are not of equal value. If you went into an emergency room with a gunshot wound, would you want my opinion or that of somebody who's studied medicine for thirty years? Would you want your brother-in-law Joe building your highrise skyscraper or an experienced architect in the field. This is the folly of so much film "opinion" of late.
@drummerjoe2610 = If you don't like gunshot wounds as an analogy, then let me ask whether you would have hired Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel or some kid who does real good with his crayons and colored pencils? I apologize for mis-reading your comment about "M". And, yes, the level of published film analysis has taken a dive in the last two decades. Lots of little critics with little knowledge to little effect. Pauline Kael or James Agee they ain't.
@RandyThornhorn Are you suggesting that I'm some kid who's good with crayons? I think I have a fair point. I don't see why you refuse to accept noir as opinion-based, the very nature of noir's history requires it to be so.
@drummerjoe2610 = While there is crime in The Night Of The Hunter--it is not really a crime film. It is a parable and a fairy tale about two lost lambs and the big bad wolf who chases them until they find a safe place to be. The photographic style has elements in common with classic film noir, including German Expressionist influence, but in themes, attitudes, and story it differs greatly from those of the hardboiled film noir.
@drummerjoe2610 I think Mitchum's presense further confuse some folks, he did a lot of classic film noirs. But look at the difference between his performance--back to back---with almost all of his other performances, particularly in classic film noir like Out Of The Past and The Racket--even his noir-like Westerns, Pursued and Track Of The Cat. In other films, he gives very naturalistic performances where he underplays and understates. In contrast, TNOTH he is very stylized & hyperdramatic.
@RandyThornhorn I've seen and love out of the past. But I'm not 'confused' by his presence. The performances are incredibly different, but I still think it a noir. This is in every definition of the word a stylized film in what is already a stylized genre. It's taken expressionism to the next level and, for me, evokes the style of 'M'. I think mood is the most important feature of noir, and the to me night of the hunter feels very noirish.
This is undoubtedly the scariest movie ever made. The only flick Laughton ever directed. Studio sets. Black and white. No grue and gore. Plenty of atmosphere. No glitzy special effects. Just good ol' fashioned scarey. Love it love it love it. And oh that Robert Mitchum!
This whole film is so stylized and iconic, it's great. Because of the way it's framed it looks like something which should be in a stained glass window or something. The fact that it's obviously shot on a set just adds to how unreal the whole scene is.
@Yoshipanda :It depends on one's taste, but given the premise of the film and knowing what's in store for her which I can't for the life of me not understand why that part was not included ...yeah, I'd say its creepy. The background music, lighting effects and camera angle also added a sensation of unease to her impending doom. She was prepared for it, we weren't as an audience, all we can think of is "Get the f..k out of that bed and run!"
@MacDaddysHotWheels Something from I Know What You Did Last Summer maybe, or what do you mean? There are different levels of creepiness. Not everybody understands this one.
I wrote an article on some of the most chilling movies (I forgot the title) but I included this. He's so diabolical and poor Shelley is so naive. Chilling is the perfect description of this scene. Thanks.
Thats YANKMEES, I'm sorry you feel that way, just trying to help by pointing out that Christianity & pretty much most other religions are bullshit & hustle good people.
any southern sweeties want to say hello to Georgie porgy in NYC?
Good people can still be part of an organized religion and not be brain-washed. It takes extremists and fear-mongerers like Mr. Powell here to do that - that's the whole point of this film. Unfortunately, there are many extremists still out there today that give Christianity and other religions a bad name.
Religion isn't about hustling and brainwashing - it's a personal decision (in my view, a very enriching and beneficial one) about FAITH.
@LadyJaneSlay Enriching? Beneficial? There is nothing enriching about faith. Even in the non-religion sense. It always lets you down. It may give you a pleasant ride, but in the end that ride leads straight to the ground. Furthermore, Religion is about brainwashing and tribal congregating behavior. Foolish to say otherwise. Crusades or 9/11 Religion inspires intolerant behavior. Call the Radicals who to 9/11 extremeist all you want, but the Catholics who started the Crusades were not.
@ProRanting Faith is a personal choice. I don't want to start any arguments. Most folks take a peaceful approach to it, which, in my view, is the highest road to take. Perhaps the best outcome I can hope for in communicating with non-believers is the 'agree to disagree' outcome.
The one thing I think we CAN agree upon is that this movie is an amazing piece of cinematography, and the actors and crew all did an amazing job. The movie really captures one's imagination and sparks discussions.
robert mitchum, possessor of a strong pimp hand
tsartodd 5 days ago
pffft whats the point of this. who would watch a black and white film, theyre shit
MarvinLikesTheBeach 1 month ago
epic smack a bitch scene lol
waglisladevil 3 months ago
One of the great scenes from one of the great films. But this is not "film noir". Learn your terminology before you toss it around. "Film noir" is probably the most misused classification by children today.
RandyThornhorn 4 months ago
@RandyThornhorn
your an idiot...
get a life.
ThePSYCHOChannel 4 months ago
@ThePSYCHOChannel = Ah, the danger of a little bit of knowledge. Say what you want, but The Night Of The Hunter is not film noir. I've been steeped in film and writing about film for forty years now. I first wrote about The Night Of The Hunter in The Oxford American over fifteen years ago, after decades of watching it. I can tell you what film noir is and what it is not. Just because something is in black and white and has lots of shadows does not make it film noir.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn
Once again...your an idiot !!!
so long fool.
ThePSYCHOChannel 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn Just because there are no detectives or femme fatale does not mean it's not film noir
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = Thanks for asking. You're onto part of it. From wiki: Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn You've taught me to be very deliberate in punctuating my sentences in the future. That was not a question. I think The Night of the Hunter is a film noir, but it's a facile argument. Since film noir is a term applied after the fact, there is no clear cut definition for what constitutes a film noir, and different film historians think different things. I have nothing against you, but calling people who have an opinion contrary to your own as 'children' is extremely condescending.
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = I meant it to be condescending. I get tired of people throwing around terms they don't understand. Saying that The Night Of The Hunter is "film noir" is like saying Cocteau's Beauty And The Beast is film noir. It just doesn't fit, even by a stretch.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn It's all a matter of opinion, I don't think Notorious resembles a noir at all, but many people disagree. And I do think The Night of the Hunter is a noir, which means I fall under your blanket of condescension. All I have to say to that is if you think that there is a right and wrong in a genre that is very much open to interpretation (we're not even sure if it is a genre), then you didn't get much out of writing about film for forty years.
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
I have read several books and articles that do point to The Night of the Hunter being noir. It's all opinion.
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = They are wrong. Publishers don't know any better and they'll let anybody write and publish film analysis these days. "M" is not film noir either. You'll find that virtually all of the books or articles you've read such things have come from people who published such things in the last twenty to twenty-five years---when all the movie brats started dumping out onto the streets, starry-eyed and half-educated with buzz words they liked to throw around.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn Also, publishers probably will let anybody write and publish film analysis. How else would you get your writing published?
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = Contrary to the new internet fanboy mentality---all things in life in general and film in particular are not just "opinion" and all opinions are not of equal value. If you went into an emergency room with a gunshot wound, would you want my opinion or that of somebody who's studied medicine for thirty years? Would you want your brother-in-law Joe building your highrise skyscraper or an experienced architect in the field. This is the folly of so much film "opinion" of late.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn 1. I did not say M was a film noir, it is a german film from the 30's, it can't be noir
2. I mentioned what I've read because you seem to put such weight on your own writing.
3. Many things are opinion, although it's true that it's not all of equal value
4. Have you actually been writing about film for forty years and just compared films to gunshot wounds? If so, you are a complete idiot.
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = If you don't like gunshot wounds as an analogy, then let me ask whether you would have hired Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel or some kid who does real good with his crayons and colored pencils? I apologize for mis-reading your comment about "M". And, yes, the level of published film analysis has taken a dive in the last two decades. Lots of little critics with little knowledge to little effect. Pauline Kael or James Agee they ain't.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn Are you suggesting that I'm some kid who's good with crayons? I think I have a fair point. I don't see why you refuse to accept noir as opinion-based, the very nature of noir's history requires it to be so.
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = This is obviously going nowhere. Go ahead and refer to Lubitsch films as "screwball comedies" if you like. It'll still be wrong.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 = While there is crime in The Night Of The Hunter--it is not really a crime film. It is a parable and a fairy tale about two lost lambs and the big bad wolf who chases them until they find a safe place to be. The photographic style has elements in common with classic film noir, including German Expressionist influence, but in themes, attitudes, and story it differs greatly from those of the hardboiled film noir.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@drummerjoe2610 I think Mitchum's presense further confuse some folks, he did a lot of classic film noirs. But look at the difference between his performance--back to back---with almost all of his other performances, particularly in classic film noir like Out Of The Past and The Racket--even his noir-like Westerns, Pursued and Track Of The Cat. In other films, he gives very naturalistic performances where he underplays and understates. In contrast, TNOTH he is very stylized & hyperdramatic.
RandyThornhorn 3 months ago
@RandyThornhorn I've seen and love out of the past. But I'm not 'confused' by his presence. The performances are incredibly different, but I still think it a noir. This is in every definition of the word a stylized film in what is already a stylized genre. It's taken expressionism to the next level and, for me, evokes the style of 'M'. I think mood is the most important feature of noir, and the to me night of the hunter feels very noirish.
drummerjoe2610 3 months ago
was totally blown away by he's performance in this, especially when he sings ha
joydivision19842 5 months ago
Robert Mitchum is something else!!! one of the best actors of all time!!
ForThePriceofACoke 5 months ago 3
This is undoubtedly the scariest movie ever made. The only flick Laughton ever directed. Studio sets. Black and white. No grue and gore. Plenty of atmosphere. No glitzy special effects. Just good ol' fashioned scarey. Love it love it love it. And oh that Robert Mitchum!
rufusminnie 5 months ago 3
where is number 8?
baioken 5 months ago
@baioken it got taken down
Karl39X 5 months ago
This whole film is so stylized and iconic, it's great. Because of the way it's framed it looks like something which should be in a stained glass window or something. The fact that it's obviously shot on a set just adds to how unreal the whole scene is.
dawkinsforpope 6 months ago 2
Gotta love a bitch who can take a slap and deliver dialog.
bkennedy 6 months ago 2
Does he have nosferatu in any of these.
antilego1self 6 months ago
@Yoshipanda :It depends on one's taste, but given the premise of the film and knowing what's in store for her which I can't for the life of me not understand why that part was not included ...yeah, I'd say its creepy. The background music, lighting effects and camera angle also added a sensation of unease to her impending doom. She was prepared for it, we weren't as an audience, all we can think of is "Get the f..k out of that bed and run!"
twilson11208 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
one of the best films ever made!
an5200 6 months ago
1:45 he thinks the parents are getting down
kabal5000 7 months ago 3
anybody notice there's no #8
DamnFlippers 8 months ago
@DamnFlippers haha yess youre right
ex0rc1s 7 months ago
It would seems she's ready to die right from the start. And the chamber... it's just like a crypt where the ghoul prepares to strike.
RatkosKorner 8 months ago 3
1:58 kid looks out??? whats he seeing don't get it
wiseguy1989xx 9 months ago
I don't think you've seen a lot of films ... Because I could make a Top Ten Creepiest Scenes list and it'd freak you out quite a bit.
MacDaddysHotWheels 9 months ago
@MacDaddysHotWheels Something from I Know What You Did Last Summer maybe, or what do you mean? There are different levels of creepiness. Not everybody understands this one.
JEMorrow1 8 months ago
Great scene...brilliant film...sad Laughton never made another...personally, I think the underwater scene is more haunting
LaughDesigns 9 months ago 3
Gawd, I just wanna shake her myself. Wake up fool!
Pie2 9 months ago
I love this scene. The music is entrancing
falconhead67 9 months ago
where is #8?
Rawr5649 9 months ago 5
This is not film noir, it's American gothic.
powrpuff 10 months ago 5
This has a very Suggestive Power on me.I cant Imagine playing this role,what a Horror for Mitchum
Legrandez666 11 months ago
This scene reminds me of Othello.
TheEvilNekoSable 11 months ago
Who wrote the music for this? so haunting. . .
injamaven 1 year ago
@injamaven This totally captivating music was composed by Walter Schumann. So beautiful I actually have to press the Replay button all the time ...
JEMorrow1 8 months ago
He was probably like " Woah wonder wats going on in there!
northpointe2 1 year ago
I wrote an article on some of the most chilling movies (I forgot the title) but I included this. He's so diabolical and poor Shelley is so naive. Chilling is the perfect description of this scene. Thanks.
9876543217303 1 year ago
SMACK!
NKRDesmo 1 year ago 33
Thats YANKMEES, I'm sorry you feel that way, just trying to help by pointing out that Christianity & pretty much most other religions are bullshit & hustle good people.
any southern sweeties want to say hello to Georgie porgy in NYC?
BayRidgeGeorge 1 year ago
@BayRidgeGeorge
I don't agree, George.
Good people can still be part of an organized religion and not be brain-washed. It takes extremists and fear-mongerers like Mr. Powell here to do that - that's the whole point of this film. Unfortunately, there are many extremists still out there today that give Christianity and other religions a bad name.
Religion isn't about hustling and brainwashing - it's a personal decision (in my view, a very enriching and beneficial one) about FAITH.
LadyJaneSlay 1 year ago
@LadyJaneSlay Enriching? Beneficial? There is nothing enriching about faith. Even in the non-religion sense. It always lets you down. It may give you a pleasant ride, but in the end that ride leads straight to the ground. Furthermore, Religion is about brainwashing and tribal congregating behavior. Foolish to say otherwise. Crusades or 9/11 Religion inspires intolerant behavior. Call the Radicals who to 9/11 extremeist all you want, but the Catholics who started the Crusades were not.
ProRanting 1 year ago
@ProRanting Faith is a personal choice. I don't want to start any arguments. Most folks take a peaceful approach to it, which, in my view, is the highest road to take. Perhaps the best outcome I can hope for in communicating with non-believers is the 'agree to disagree' outcome.
The one thing I think we CAN agree upon is that this movie is an amazing piece of cinematography, and the actors and crew all did an amazing job. The movie really captures one's imagination and sparks discussions.
LadyJaneSlay 1 year ago
Its a shame a lot of the southern bible belt still act like this kind of Christian Brain Dead.
I feel so sorry for these Lost souls,who are being taken advantaged of.
BayRidgeGeorge 1 year ago
Southerners are being invaded by you damn Yankees.
S0lidState 1 year ago
if that kid didnt wake up to the shitty car running in the back its more comedy then suspence
takingbacksunday576 1 year ago
Shelley Winters does die in a lot of her movies, doesn't she?
Anyway, this scene really is memorable.
hanniballecter3 1 year ago
These are fantastic clips, and The Night of the Hunter is a gem.
darkprose 1 year ago
Fantastic movie...Mitchum at his best.
sharona1981 1 year ago
Your choice of movies is brilliant.
LightStijn 1 year ago 81
@LightStijn
Yeah. His taste of films is brilliantly snobbish!
degree7 11 months ago
You skipped the creepiest part when she's floating beneath that water in the lake.
TIPTON340 1 year ago
I would've picked the scene with him silhouetted on horseback against the moon. Although this is a good one, too.
yohei72 1 year ago
IT'S IN MY DOLL IT'S IN MY DOLL TT ^TT
captincaveman89 2 years ago