The Night of the Hunter

Lighting in cinematography has a crucial role for it affects how a scene is portrayed.  Lighting can reinforce the story, or plot line, by visually representing or reinforcing emotions in a scene. Lighting is overall essential to the overall feel of the scene and helps guide the audience through the plot by establishing mood and character development.

         The film, The Night of the Hunter, directed by Charles Laughton is an "unforgettable masterpiece" of terror where lighting plays a prominent role in tying the film together. A common lighting thread seen throughout the film is a low-key lighting style called chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro emphasized  "shadows and harsh lighting style to create a sense of depth and volume” ("The Basics of Lighting"). The Night of the Hunter also harnesses the "hard light" which leaves sharp edged shadows. The lighting within the film ranges from bright whites to the darkest of blacks to emphasis either emphasis the good in a certain character or the evil lurking in another. In other words the lighting effectively conveys the narrative and the mood throughout the film. Let's look at just some of the scenes in which Laughton utilizes the lighting.

         The first scene that stuck out to me was when Willa, shown below, is lying in bed. A bright light frames her face suggesting her impending demise. It also serves to illustrate her innocence, compared to the evil preacher standing above her. On that note, Powell, the evil preacher, first appears to the children as a looming dark shadow in their bedroom. This is highly emblematic of the darkness he will bring to their lives. These are instances of how lighting can act as a foreshadowing tool. 

         So now that I have covered how lighting can be used within the film to foreshadow another purpose is to show characters true intentions. It is understood that Harry is seen is always seen in dark ominous lighting to show the audience that he is a "phony preacher who murders widows for their money"(Barsam and Monaham [186]). Yet this lighting can also be seen surrounding sweet Rachel Cooper, the sweet old lady that takes in homeless children. So how can Rachel even be portrayed in the same lighting when the audience knows she is nothing but generous? Laughton uses dark lighting on Rachel not to equate her to Powell but to instead show that is a "worthy adversary" for him. 

         The director, Laughton, brings in Stanley Cortez as his cinematographer who does an excellent job. The film makes the most of its settings, most of which are made nightmarish by events. The sets are striking due to the sharp contrast in lighting as well as the inclusion of little details that add so much to the scene. These details include the spider's web that overlays the image of the children on the river and of course Willa's body sitting peacefully at the bottom of the river gives you chills. 

           Lighting played a major role in The Night of the Hunter. It supported the film in portraying the overwhelming disturbing vibe it gave off. Most films produced during the 1950s seem somewhat dated now, but thanks to the visually striking black and white cinematography the film remains timeless. Stanley Cortez's breathtaking black-and-white cinematography is complemented by Walter Schumann's atmospheric score. There is a moment during the river journey when Pearl (the little girl) begins singing a children's lullaby. Let me just say that the lullaby in no way soothes my nerves but rather escalates the ominous vibe already portrayed in the film. The Night of the Hunter can easily be compared to the German expressionist cinema of the silent era, specifically The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Yet it is hard to imagine this silent film getting under my skin as well as The Night of the Hunter did. Let's just say if you have not seen this film then I highly suggest watching it. 

Works Cited: 

Barsam, Richard, and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies. Fourth ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

"The Basics of Lighting for Film Noir." Filmmaker IQ. N.p., 2005. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. <http://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/the-basics-of-lighting-for-film-noir/>.

Fabulous, Jennifer. "Night of the Hunter." I Know, Right? BlogSpot, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. <http://jenniferfabulous.blogspot.com/2011/11/night-of-hunter.html>.

The Night of the Hunter. Dir. Charles Laughton. 1955. Film.

"What Is the Role of Lighting in Cinematography?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-role-of-lighting-in-cinematography.htm>.