3. The Night Of The Hunter (1955)
The Night Of The Hunter is exceptional for many reasons, one being that this classic noir thriller from 1955 was not nominated for a single Oscar. The Night Of The Hunter is a chilling story about a former prisoner and "Man Of God" (brilliantly played by Roberty Mitchum) who becomes violently obsessed with finding his former cellmate's hidden fortune, who's only whereabouts are known by his 2 young children. What makes this film standout from the other pulpy thrillers of its era is the way the story is told. First time director Charles Laughton (a celebrated actor in his own right) created a film of amazing depth and suspense through the expressionistic style that German film-makers had adapted in the early 1930's. The influence of those films is stamped all over The Night Of The Hunter, stark and tall shadows, warped perspective, tilted camera angles. This gives the film and subject matter a very impending sense of doom around every corner, which was a new thing for mainstream American audiences to experience. Laughton's direction became a groundbreaking method on how to craft a thriller, yet when first experienced, the Academy balked at his concepts and he did not receive a well deserved Best Director Oscar nomination, nor did the film for Best Picture, Walter Shumann's equally groundbreaking music score or the fantastic cinematography from Stanley Cortez. One of the biggest upsets is how Robert Mitchum, playing the itinerant Reverend Harry Powell with maniacal brilliance was not honored with a Best Actor nomination or even the award itself proves that sometimes, the Academy is just not ready to crown a classic, a classic.