Charles Laughton Directs 'The Night of the Hunter' (2002)
**** (out of 4)
Charles Laughton's THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is considered one of the greatest thrillers to ever be made and it would turn out to be the legendary actor's only directorial credit. This documentary clocks in at 159-minutes and basically features outtakes from the movie where we see the actors working while we hear Laughton off camera giving them direction.
I'm sure most people would be thinking that nearly three-hours worth of outtakes would be impossible to get through but that's certainly not the case as this was one of the most interesting documentaries I've ever seen. What's so terrific about the movie is that there is some narration talking about the cast but the majority of the running time are these outtakes where we get to see the film being crafted into what it became.
It's certainly fascinating getting to hear Laughton direct the cast and it's even more interesting to see how different he handled everyone. With Mitchum, there's really not too much said to him. Just take a look at the scene where the preacher is driving down the street and talking to God. Mitchum basically just asks Laughton to tell him when and he does his thing. The way Laughton handles the child was also quite fascinating to watch and also quite tender at times.
The real eye-opening stuff comes from how he deals with Shelley Winters. I'm sure some will be thinking of Kubrick and Duvall on THE MAKING OF THE SHINING because Laughton really has a hard time with WInters at time. Again, it's just so fascinating getting to see her re-act to what Laughton is telling her and watching his words shape her performance is quite interesting to say the least.
CHARLES LAUGHTON DIRECTS.. really gives you a chance to see what a director is doing during the various scenes that are shot. If you're a fan of the film then this is a major bonus because you get to see how it came to life. Even if you're not a fan of THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER this is still a must-see because there's nothing better out there that shows you the importance of a director.
