It’s a strange, post-modern conundrum I experienced this morning, I’ll set the scene: I wake up, check Twitter BEFORE I check my e-mail, only to discover that Criterion has finally sent out their June e-mail newsletter (after announcing on Twitter that it might be a little late due to some revamping), and that apparently they’ve either announced Do the Right Thing on Blu-ray, or Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter. Clearly it was the latter.
Having not seen the movie before, but heard many people talk up how intense Robert Mitchum is as the murderer Robert Powell (specifically the Battleship Pretension, but I cannot remember the episode), I cannot wait for this release. Apparently this is an MGM title that Criterion has licensed (MGM is not doing too well these day’s financially, and it is rumored that Criterion has a nice long list of films that they’re going to be releasing from their catalog).
Add Night of the Hunter to your Netflix queue.
From AllMovie.com:
Adapted by James Agee from a novel by Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter represented legendary actor Charles Laughton‘s only film directing effort. Combining stark realism with Germanic expressionism, the movie is a brilliant good-and-evil parable, with “good” represented by a couple of farm kids and a pious old lady, and “evil” literally in the hands of a posturing psychopath. Imprisoned with thief Ben Harper (Peter Graves), phony preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) learns that Ben has hidden a huge sum of money somewhere near his home. Upon his release, the murderously misogynistic Powell insinuates himself into Ben’s home, eventually marrying his widow Willa (Shelley Winters). Eventually all that stands between Powell and the money are Ben’s son (Billy Chapin) and daughter (Sally Jane Bruce), who take refuge in a home for abandoned children presided over by the indomitable, scripture-quoting Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish). The war of wills between Mitchum and Gish is the heart of the film’s final third, a masterful blend of horror and lyricism. Laughton’s tight, disciplined direction is superb — and all the more impressive when one realizes that he intensely disliked all child actors. The music by Walter Schumann and the cinematography of Stanley Cortez are every bit as brilliant as the contributions by Laughton and Agee. Overlooked on its first release, The Night of the Hunter is now regarded as a classic.
This definitely has been kicking around as a rumor for a while, as any search on the Criterion Forum will yield some chatter. Also, the ever trust-worthy Mubi (previously the Auteurs) Fake Criterion Cover Forum Thread yielded these results:
What do you think about Night of the Hunter being rumored for a Criterion Blu-ray release? What other MGM titles would you like to see in the Collection?
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