Writer Stephen King has given audiences plenty of nightmares during his career. We’re talking about the man who gave us one of the scariest clowns of all time in Pennywise from IT; who unleashed a maniacal Jack Nicholson as axe-wielding Jack Torrance in The Shining; who chilled us all with his character of religious zealot, Mrs. Carmody, from The Mist. The guy knows how to write a memorable villain.
So, when Mr. King mentions a character that gave him nightmares, it pays to listen. One such villain that unsettled the author to his core is that of serial killer Harry Powell from The Night of the Hunter. If you want to see the movie that scared the master of horror himself, it’s now stalking Prime.
What’s The Night of the Hunter About?
Based on the novel of the same name by Davis Grubb, we meet self-proclaimed preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum). While in jail, he learns of a large sum of money that his cellmate hid somewhere around his home. Only the man’s children—who have been sworn to secrecy—know where it is. The moment he’s released, Harry travels down to his cellmate’s hometown. There, he meets the man’s wife and immediately woos her. She may not sense Harry’s ill intent, but her kids sure do. A monster has entered their home, and he’ll kill anyone in the way of getting the money he has come for.
A Haunting Nightmare
In a 2009 interview with EW, King listed Harry Powell as a top ten villain, claiming that Mitchum gave the character a “face that caused a thousand nightmares”. I’m not sure how Mitchum’s ghost should take being described as having a face that caused sleepless nights. Still, King listing the character as a top ten villain is a tribute to the actor’s performance.
Mitchum does indeed strike fear in the hearts of audiences with his portrayal of the murderous Harry Powell. An imposing presence with charm that hypnotizes, he uses faith to manipulate and hide what he really is. He sports the word LOVE tattooed on the fingers of one hand and HATE on those of the other…a striking attribute that has influenced countless movie villains, including Max Cady’s “Truth” and “Justice” tattoo in Cape Fear.
But it isn’t just Mitchum’s performance that makes The Night of the Hunter memorable. The film has an eerie quality that whisks audiences away to a nightmare. Charles Laughton depicts a surreal world complemented by framing reminiscent of German Expressionism and stunning imagery that’s as gorgeous as it is haunting. Powell, meanwhile, stalks terrified children across shadowy landscapes like a relentless boogeyman.
No wonder King claims the film caused so many restless nights. All the more reason to seek out the breathtaking masterpiece that is Charles Laughton’s one and only feature as a director (a fact almost as shocking as the crimes of Powell himself).
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