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The Night of the Hunter [Blu-ray]

Robert Mitchum (Actor), Shelley Winters (Actor), Charles Laughton (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: Blu-ray
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 756 ratings
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April 8, 2014
The Criterion Collection
2
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Genre Mystery & Suspense/Film Noir, Mystery & Suspense
Format Blu-ray
Contributor Shelley Winters, Robert Mitchum, Lillian Gish, Charles Laughton
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 33 minutes
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From the manufacturer

Night of the Hunter title banner: children cower in the shadows of a troubled man
Night of the Hunter cover art: A suspicious girl holding a doll sits on a man's lap, both in shadows

The classic Hollywood psychological thriller

Starring Robert Mitchum in his most notorious role

The Night of the Hunter—incredibly, the only film the great actor Charles Laughton ever directed—is truly a stand-alone masterwork.

A horror movie with qualities of a Grimm fairy tale, it stars a sublimely sinister Robert Mitchum as a traveling preacher named Harry Powell (he of the tattooed knuckles), whose nefarious motives for marrying a fragile widow, played by Shelley Winters, are uncovered by her terrified young children.

Graced by images of eerie beauty and a sneaky sense of humor, this ethereal, expressionistic American classic—also featuring the contributions of actress Lillian Gish and writer James Agee—is cinema’s most eccentric rendering of the battle between good and evil.

Special Edition Features

  • New digital transfer restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive
  • Audio commentary
  • Over two hours of outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage
  • New video interview with Laughton biographer Simon Callow
  • Archival interviews with cast and crew
  • New documentary on the film
  • And more
Three scenes: A figure stalks a house, two children's expressionless glare, a man watches her sleep
Love and Hate tatooed across the knuckles of two hands

Product Description

Blu-ray. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER - incredibly, the only film the great actor Charles Laughton ever directed - is truly a standalone masterwork. A horror movie with qualities of a Grimm fairy tale, it stars a sublimely sinister Robert Mitchum (CAPE FEAR, THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE) as a traveling preacher named Harry Powell (he of the tattooed knuckles), whose nefarious motives for marrying a fragile widow, played by Shelley Winters (A PLACE IN THE SUN, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK) are uncovered by her terrified young children. Graced by images of eerie beauty and a sneaky sense of humor, this ethereal, expressionistic American classic - also featuring the contributions of actress Lillian Gish (INTOLERANCE, DUEL IN THE SUN) and writer James Agee - is cinema's quirkiest rendering of the battle between good and evil.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.08 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 28934666
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Charles Laughton
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ April 8, 2014
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Criterion Collection (Direct)
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HVOFPD0
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 756 ratings

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
756 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Old Cinephile
5.0 out of 5 stars "It's a hard world for little things."
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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Wow, where to start. So much has already been said about this cinematic masterpiece in previous reviews both here and all over the web and written page. Part German expressionist film, part biblical parable, part commentary on the Red Scare, part film noir and even part horror film. The Night of the Hunter stings you, scares you and stays with you for a long time. One time director Charles Laughton and enigmatic DP Stanley Cortez create a child's nightmare for adults. It was so far ahead of its time in 1955 that both audiences and critics were at a total loss to comprehend it. Censors had a field day. Yet, over the many decades this unique film found its way into legend. Yes, the performances are in a strange over theatrical style. Yes, there's an angular, severe and extreme balance between light and shadow in the photography. Yes, there are demonic overtones. Yes, there's an almost dream like nature to much of the film. Much of the music combines religious hymns with dark foreboding tones. It's all done on purpose. To guild the viewer through this fevered vison of good and evil. Of human weaknesses and triumphant strengths. Verbal descriptions fail the film. Those that love it can only suggest giving it at least one viewing. You might be very surprised!
This Kino Lorber 4K release is truly the best this has ever looked in the home. Beautiful fine grain. The deepest blacks. No DNR. No edge enhancement. The full range of grays and whites. Almost no noise or film damage. There will be some conversations about the aspect ratio. I slightly prefer the 1.85:1 frame rather than the Criterion 1.66:1 Blu-ray. Yes, you lose a few quick shots at the top and bottom, but I think the more immersive frame on a home display brings me more into Cortez's dreamlike visuals.
Sound is fine. The haunting music and spoken dialog are clear. Supplements are interesting and enjoyable but cannot compete with the older Criterion Blu-ray. I can strongly recommend this 4K remaster to add to the collection if you do not already have a physical copy of the movie or if you just must have the best home picture reproduction available. If you already have the Criterion Blu-ray, then double dipping will be a strictly individual choice.
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Jack E. Levic
5.0 out of 5 stars ORIGINALLY UNAPPRECIATED BUT NOW PRAISED CLASSIC
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
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There is a lot to say about this remarkable film. NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is a masterpiece that deserves to be in a category of its own - thriller, crime, suspense, drama comedy and there is even a bit of film noir in this classic.
As with many masterpieces, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER was misunderstood when it was first released. United Artists did not know how to market this film. What was this film, exactly? It was ahead of its time in many ways and only years later was it truly admired to become an American film classic.

As I said, there is a bit of everything in NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. It's a crime story but then it become a suspense thriller and eventually it is a fantasy view of the world from the eyes of two young children. NIGHT OF THE HUNTER was film acting legend Charles Laughton's only film. It's poor reception was one of the big disappointments of his career. He never directed a film again.

The DVD cover of this Criterion Collection version has a film noir feel as we see Robert Mitchum holding a young girl as she looks up to him. I watched this film with no background to the story. Just the DVD cover and the fact that I was watching Robert Mitchum films and this one was on the list. Oddly, I have meant to watch this film for years simply because a long-time friend of mine is one of the children seen later in the film.

What an amazing cast. Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and the superb Lillian Gish and sprinkled throughout are well-known character actors of the era. There is a feel and ambiance to the film that I noticed right away. There is reverence to silent films in NIGHT OF THE HUNTERS. It was filmed in black and white for a reason. The indoor and nighttime scenes can be downright creepy and scary. The mood is set. It seemed strange to see Shelley Winters as a young actress--attractive but in a normal, girl next door sense. Her husband (a young Peter Graves) kills two men in a robbery and is eventually tried and executed. But what became of the $10,000 that was stolen. Enter the "Preacher" Harry Powell played with delight by Robert Mitchum bent on finding the missing money. He successfull woos the widow Willa Harper. Only her 10-year-old son John, played by the remarkably talented Billy Chapin, sees the preacher for what he is. A decade later, Winters was to again play a widow wooed by a nefarious con man in LOLITA. No one seems to be suspicious of a preacher with the words LOVE and HATE tattooed on the fingers of each hand.

The lighting sets the mood in so many scenes and that becomes more and more evident as the story progresses. At first, we have a somewhat straightforward story. Only when the children are on their own trying to evade the preacher do we have a shift in the story and the world is now seen through the eyes of two children. Truly remarkable and the shift is subtle. Eventually the kids are found by Rachel Cooper played by the lovely, charming, fantastic and one of a kind silent film star Lillian Gish. Gish lights up the screen and it's a shame that her film appearances were limited in the sound era.

We know from the beginning that the "preacher" is a widow killer so I am not giving anything away. One of the most shocking and memorable scenes I have ever seen is one of his victims in the water and her hair is flowing through the water along with the lake plants (much like ocean kelp). Watch the extras to find out how this scene was shot so realistically.

The absolute surprise in this film is the talented child actor Billy Chapin. Here was a 40-year-old trapped in the body of a child. From this movie alone, I would rank him as one of the best child actors I have ever seen but apparently, he only did one more film after this one. An incredible talent that must be seen. On the other hand, the actress playing his baby sister Pearl, Sally Jane Bruce, ranks as one of the most annoying child actors I have seen with a strange voice and an odd way of saying, "John." This was her one and only film appearance.

NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is stylish, quirly, off-beat and totally addictive to any fan of classic films. I spent a week watching all the extras on the Criterion Collection version and this version is a MUST to any film buff. Here is the odd story of how the film came to the big screen directed by Charles Laughton. There is a lot of praise to be given to the Criterion Collection version and all the extras.

Film buffs can't miss the 2 1/2 hour extra CHARLES LAUGHTON DIRECTS NIGHT OF THE HUNTER.
There is probably nothing like it in film history. Laughton keep the camera running when giving directions and beyond that he SAVED all the hours and hours of outtakes. His widow actress Elsa Lanchester finally donated the countless reels to archivists who spent years and years making sense of it all. The final product takes us as close to a film set and the movie making process that most of us will ever see. Here are the scenes in order as Laughton directs his cast--their mistakes, their triumphs and his direction on how to play the scene over and over. It is remarkable. I have never seen anything like it and it can't be missed.

Before writing this review, I wanted to have lunch with my friend to discuss her memories of the film. The story was that Laughton was not good with the child actors. The outtakes and my friend prove that was not the case. She said he was gentle and patient with the kids. Lillian Gish was wonderful and she had some great stories about Robert Mitchum and his antics--here was an actor who liked his drink and stayed out late and kept the cast and crew waiting for him to show up on set. I can't imagine what it must be like to be part of film history.

One final note. Mitchum sings throughout the film and I was amazed that he can actually carry a tune and he carries it quite well. I had heard he had a hit in the 1950's with the theme to his film THUNDER ROAD. I always figured that was a fluke but I was fascinated to learn there are three Robert Mitchum CDs on Amazon that you can buy. I got the one where Mitchum sings calupso and he pulls it off. Amazing. Some people have more than their share of talent.
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Bruce Trampler
5.0 out of 5 stars Film noir classic
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
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Robert Mitchum as the Rev. Harry Powell terrorizes a rural West Virginia family living along the Ohio River. Great performances by all.
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Belle
5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL ACTING AND STORY
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024
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THRILLED WATCHING; HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
2 people found this helpful
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Not Happy
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Transaction
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2023
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Excellent transaction, great packaging & an amazing movie.
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Delta D.
5.0 out of 5 stars An undoubted masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2023
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This seems to be a much-storied film, but those stories had not reached me when I bought this. I did so simply out of curiosity over whether Laughton was as talented behind the camera as he was in front of it.

I am reluctant to plot-spoil, so let's just say (a) that Robert Mitchum presents one of the most menacing characters I have ever seen on screen, (b) that the cinematography is wonderful (c) that my first exposure to the acting of Lillian Gish makes me want to see much more and (d) that the whole experience was utterly compelling.

It comes as a two-DVD set. I haven't watched the second DVD. One extra on the first DVD is a Simon Callow talk about the film. In truth, I found this a fairly tedious list of superlatives. However, whilst I allow extras to increase my star rating for a DVD, I don't allow them to decrease it. Thus, however good or bad I eventually find the material on the second DVD, my 5* rating will stand.
4 people found this helpful
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Mr. Andrew Elphick
5.0 out of 5 stars Lord Save Little Children
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2023
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Night Of The Hunter is a lush fable of innocence and goodness against voracious evil. Laughton brought everything to his direction. Its a shame that he didn't live to see this film grow to be recognised as one of the greatest ever made. Its unforgettable. On 4K its clearer and darker than ever. Its like being embraced by shadows.
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Top reviews from other countries

Miles Wachner
5.0 out of 5 stars Suspense is is believabl
Reviewed in Japan on June 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
Great suspenseful film acting is great. Too bad Charles Laughton didn't direct more
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Snidley
5.0 out of 5 stars A very compelling story.
Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
A dark, black and white film that looks at a false preacher( with his own made-up religion) who exploits widows for their money and then kills them. He hates women and thinks it is his duty to rid the world of them, while he makes a profit on the side (by taking their money). The film looks at how people can be deceived by a respectable outer appearance and how blindly people follow leaders instead of having discernment. It looks at peer pressure, 'you need a husband, go on now'. Shelly Winter's character allows herself to be persuaded and shamed; she's too willing to give up her freedom to that psycho preacher. But the boy (her son) sees through the preacher's oily façade. It is a story of greed, the worship of money, and strength; we meet another character who, unlike Shelly Winter's character, is a very strong woman who will put her life at risk to protect the children.
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N. M. Fletcher
5.0 out of 5 stars Whether you Love / Hate it, just buy the Criterion bluray now.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
I really don't know where to begin with this gorgeous remastered Criterion release. It's absolutely stunning to behold and hear. After you've been to www.bluray. com to read their comprehensive review of both the film itself and ALL the extras and supplements you can then scour the Internet for the best deals on region /zone free bluray players to play this on. Criterion have really outdone themselves with this indispensable bluray.
2 people found this helpful
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Philip M. Stevenson
5.0 out of 5 stars Four thumbs up!
Reviewed in Canada on July 14, 2021
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Always loved this film. Lillian Gish. Superb. Robert Mitchum. A bloody scary bad guy. Cinematography. Gorgeous.
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Nice_Lieutenant
5.0 out of 5 stars Criterion Collection: Night of the Hunter Dvd
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2015
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Masterful Cinema.
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