A tall, handsome “preacher”—his knuckles eerily tattooed with “love” and “hate”—roams the countryside, spreading the gospel…and leaving a trail of murdered women in his wake. To Reverend Harry Powell, the work of the Lord has more to do with condemning souls than saving them, especially when his own interests are involved. Now his sights are set on $10,000—and two little children are the only ones who know where it is. “Chill…dren!” the preacher croons to the terrified boy and girl hiding in the cold, dark cellar…innocent young lambs who refuse to be led astray. The legendary, lone directorial effort of actor Charles Laughton (Witness for the Prosecution), The Night of the Hunter stars Robert Mitchum (Out of the Past) in the most daring and critically acclaimed performance of his career, opposite the equally spellbinding Shelley Winters (He Ran All the Way) and Lillian Gish (Duel in the Sun). Ominous and hauntingly suspenseful, this extraordinary noir classic remains “one of the most frightening movies ever made” (Pauline Kael) and “one of the greatest of all American films” (Roger Ebert).

For thoughts on The Night of the Hunter, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/Ytx1z8cSy70?t=2556]

Video Quality

The Night of the Hunter appears on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in 1.85:1 courtesy of a tremendous new 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative in 2160p/Dolby Vision that brings rich life to this classic film. The Criterion Collection previously released this film on Blu-Ray in 2010 with an older HD master, which has always looked really nice. This new presentation may not be a night and day difference, but it offers a terrific refinement of the material. Kino has been knocking it out of the park with their 4K UHD releases, and this is another that ranks near the top of their catalog.

Director Charles Laughton and cinematographer Stanley Cortez worked together to craft some of the most sumptuous, memorable shots in cinema’s history. The previous Criterion release was presented in 1.66:1, but there is some evidence to suggest that the 1.85:1 framing is closer to how it was exhibited. There are sure to be heated debates either way. Regardless, the framing looks great here and seeing this intricately constructed film with this much clarity is unbelievable. The shot composition and lighting are elegantly executed with this immaculate encode, making it the type of presentation that makes anyone who does not believe older films cannot benefit from a 4K UHD presentation fall silent.

This transfer maintains the desired filmic quality of the picture with natural film grain resolving well to bring forth rich details within the environments. The grain looks tight and natural with nothing veering into noise or compression artifacts. The transfer eradicates any previous specks or print damage that showed up on past releases. Black levels are deep without any nuisances such as crush or banding even during moments awash in shadows. The costumes and production design showcase a fine amount of textural detail. Nearly every shot presents with some excellent depth to the image which makes each setting feel more intimate and three dimensional. The black and white cinematography has never looked better with steady gradients and subtle textures in the backgrounds. Kino Classics is firing on all cylinders.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that handles this narrative well. Dialogue comes through clearly with only fleeting moments where it shows its age. It is balanced well with the background noises so everything works together in harmony. The environmental effects are strong and crisp, even if they are not asked to do anything too intense. The music does not exhibit any major instances of distortion, and it avoids any harsh or hollow moments along the way. Age related wear and tear such as hissing and crackles is a rare occurrence. Kino Classics has done a nice job with this audio track despite some minor room for improvement. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas provides a deeply informative commentary track in which he discusses how this film fits into the career of Charles Laughton, how this functions as a feat of adaptation, the background of the performers, the music of the film, thematic analysis of the story, and so much more that provides some great context to the feature.

Isolated Music and Effects Soundtrack: An option to watch the film with only the score and effects audible in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio.

Love and Hate – Filmmaker Ernest Dickerson on The Night Of The Hunter: A nine-minute interview with Dickerson (Juice) in which he talks about bonding over The Night of the Hunter with Spike Lee, the nightmarish aesthetic of the feature, his favorite imagery from the film, the ways in which the film has influenced his career and more.

Little Lambs – Actress Kathy Garver on The Night Of The Hunter: A ten-minute discussion with Garver who discusses this film as her first movie, auditioning for Charles Laughton, memories from the production, thoughts on her fellow performers and more.

Hing, Hang, Hung – Artist Joe Coleman on The Night Of The Hunter: A nearly 16-minute conversation with artist Coleman in which he explores the duality in his work, how this film has impacted his work, the real-life criminal that inspired the film, the place of religion within the narrative and more.

Trailers: The disc provided Trailer #1 (1:38) and Trailer #2 (1:36) for Night of the Hunter. There are also trailers provided for Not As A Stranger, Man With The Gun, Secret Ceremony, The Raging Tide, He Ran All The Way, Witness For The Prosecution, 12 Angry Men and The Killing.

Final Thoughts

The Night of the Hunter is a moody classic which leaves you wishing that we could have gotten a dozen more films from Charles Laughton as a director. The tone and characterization can be a bit unpredictable, but that is part of the charm of this dark fable. The film is worth watching for the cinematography alone, which provides a visual spectacle that is impossible not to appreciate. Thankfully, the film also brings it when it comes to narrative drive, as you always feel glued to the screen during the spry runtime. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a tremendous A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features that deepens your appreciation even more. If you are a fan, do not wait to grab your copy! Essential

The Night of the Hunter is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.