Movie Review: The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Here is my second assignment for my "Film Reviewing" class. Hope you enjoy...

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955)

Director: Charles Laughton
Producer: Paul Gregory
Screenwriters: James Agee, Charles Laughton
(Based on novel by Davis Grubb)
Cinematography: Stanley Cortez
Music: Walter Schumann
Harry Powell...Robert Mitchum
Willa Harper...Shelley Winters
John Harper...Billy Chapin
Pearl Harper...Sally Jane Bruce
Birdie Steptoe...James Gleason
Icey Spoon...Evelyn Varden
Rachel Cooper...Lillian Gish
Running Time: 93 minutes

Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars

The 1955 thriller, The Night of the Hunter stars Robert Mitchum as Harry Powell, a murderous preacher who stalks and torments two small children in attempt to get to their dead father’s stolen fortune. The film has acquired a cult following and is considered a classic by many movie lovers. While The Night of the Hunter certainly has a few promising qualities, such as Mitchum’s haunting performance as the villainous, child-hunting preacher, I found the film to be overwrought, gaudy, and often times confusing. Despite having an interesting story and a talented lead actor, the film’s potential is undermined by weak performances from the supporting cast and the disrupted pacing leading into its exhausting conclusion.

Robert Mitchum puts on the performance of his career as the psychopathic Harry Powell. Armed with the infamous “LOVE” and “HATE” tattoos on the knuckles of each hand, and a deep, gravelly voice as he boisterously calls out to the two terrified children, Mitchum fully embodies the creepiness and frightening presence necessary to pull off such a role.

Unfortunately for Mitchum, none of the supporting actors in the film can match up to the caliber of his performance. Shelley Winters plays Willa Harper, the widowed mother of the two children. Willa mistakenly falls in love with Harry and marries him, completely oblivious to his true intentions. Her naivety is so overplayed that it becomes hard to understand her character’s motives. She is so easily manipulated by Harry, making it difficult to really sympathize with her character. Other supporting characters include Icey Spoon (Evelyn Varden), owner of a local shop whose absurd humor is sometimes funny but mostly overdone and out of place, and Uncle Birdie (James Gleason), a drunken fisherman that gets abandoned early on in the film.

While it might seem a little unfair to critique child actors, especially from the 1950’s, it seems necessary when they play such an integral role in the film’s plot. In this case, the child stars are what makes this film difficult to connect with. The two children (played by Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce) seem incapable of expressing emotions in a manner that is required for the suspense of the film to work. Their reactions to life-or-death situations seem forced and unnatural. This can be especially seen in the over-the-top, sometimes laughable chase scene, in which Harry clumsily wrestles through conveniently placed obstacles as he pitifully fails to catch the two little children.

After this overdramatic chase scene, the tension and momentum of the film comes to an abrupt halt as the plot transitions into a slower, less interesting chapter of the story. Finally, after what seems like a logical ending, the film continues needlessly for about another 15 minutes. While I can see why The Night of the Hunter is considered by many to be a cult classic, I found it difficult to fully enjoy. Even Mitchum’s outstanding performance isn’t enough to save this film from its weak supporting cast, overdone dramatics, and overextended conclusion.

Trailer:

Jay-Z & John Mayer at 9/11 Concert

Last night Jay-Z put on a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden for his "Answer the Call" concert, which paid tribute to the police officers and firefighters who died from the September 11th terrorist attacks. The concert aired on Fuse TV, and all proceeds were donated to the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. Jay-Z performed over 2 hours of his hit songs as well as new material from his brand new album, The Blueprint 3. The night was filled with special guest appearances by Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Kanye West, Rihanna, P. Diddy, and John Mayer.

Check out this clip from Jay's incredible collaboration with John Mayer!

Source: The Associated Press

Remembering September 11th

In memory of the tragic events that fell upon our country eight years ago today, I thought I would share a few videos / tribute songs to honor those who were lost on September 11th, 2001. We will never forget that day, and as a country we will continue to be strong and move forward.

"The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen


"Believe" by Yellowcard


"The Innocent" by Good Charlotte, Goldfinger, and Mest


"Freedom (LIVE)" by Paul McCartney

Movie Review: Cat People

So this semester I am in a five person class that is solely devoted to 'Film Reviewing.' This week we had to write our first review for a movie we screened in class called Cat People. I decided to post the reviews I will be writing throughout the year, so here is my first film review of the semester...hope you enjoy!

CAT PEOPLE (1942)

Director: Jacques Tourneur
Producer: Val Lewton
Screenwriter: DeWitt Bodeen
Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Music: Roy Webb
Editing: Mark Robson
Irena...Simone Simon
Oliver Reed...Kent Smith
Dr. Louis Judd...Tom Conway
Alice Moore...Jane Randolph
Running Time: 73 minutes

When producer Val Lewton was appointed head of the horror unit at RKO studios, he was told to follow three rules: each film he produced had to have a budget under $150,000, a running time under 75 minutes, and his supervisors had to supply the title for each film. For his first production, Lewton teamed up with director Jacques Tourneur for a film titled Cat People. Despite having limited resources, the film ended up being a major success and marked the first of Lewton’s nine horror classics. Cat People has become a renowned classic film due to its separation from the conventions of the horror genre. Rather than frightening the audience with shocking murders or grotesque violence, Cat People plays off the eerie suspense and fear of a mysterious unseen threat and features psychological themes of jealousy and sexual desire that were significantly ahead of its time.

The film begins by following the relationship between Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a Serbian-born fashion artist and Oliver Reed (Kent Smith), an American architect. After their initial meeting, the two instantly fall in love and quickly get married. They hit a rough patch in their marriage, however, when Irena becomes consumed with the belief that she is a descendent of a Serbian tribe that was cursed by devil worshippers. She avoids intimate relations with her husband out of fear that she will turn into a deadly panther if she becomes sexually or emotionally aroused.

Tourneur brilliantly highlights the marital tensions and emotional distance between Irena and Oliver through their frequent conversations from separate rooms, discussing their problems through a closed door. Simone Simon does an outstanding job of portraying the confused bride who is torn between her love for Oliver and her constant fear of ancient superstition. At times we pity Irena and her inability to find happiness in their marriage, but after a series of strange incidents our suspicions begin to grow. Through an overkill of cat references, constant visual cues, clever hints in the dialogue, and a series of peculiar events, it becomes obvious that something is not right with Irena.

Meanwhile, Oliver's efforts to fix their problems only make matters worse. He persuades his wife to seek a psychiatrist, Dr. Louis Judd (Tom Conway), who develops a dangerously inappropriate attraction to Irena. He then confides to his flirtatious co-worker Alice (Jane Randolph), who is clearly in love with him. In two separate occasions, Alice is stalked by what she believes was the cat-form of Irena attempting to kill her out of jealousy and rage. These two pivotal scenes truly capture the dark and ominous tone of the film. Tourneur and cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca master the use of intricate lighting and luminous shadows to really emphasize the mysterious nature of Irena’s character. By only showing the large shadow of Alice’s stalker, Tourneur creates an atmosphere that causes fear though our own imagination. Cat People proves that you don’t need a big budget, special effects, or physical violence to make a great film that frightens the audience. An innovative film like this is worthy of being considered a classic horror film and is truly a must-see for all fans of modern psychological or supernatural thrillers.

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

Trailer: