2. Night of the Hunter
The only film directed by Charles Laughton. It's odd to think that Night of the Hunter is Laughton's debut and swansong which only makes it that much more unique and perplexing. It really is a shame that he never directed another film again because he was able to create a tragic and totally engrossing story on his first attempt. Also, Night of the Hunter only takes 92 minutes to accomplish more than most filmmakers can achieve in a lifetime of making movies. The mix of genres is what really makes the direction so brilliant. There are traces of film noir, German Expressionism and French Romanticism all blended together to create something fresh, new and exciting. The symbolism of the loss of innocence in the movie is heightened by the children being the main focus of the story. Laughton could have focused the narrative on Robert Mitchum's preacher to create an anti-hero but he wisely chooses to present everything as innocently as possible to heighten the events of the film. It may be sad that Laughton never directed again, but it's also hard to believe that a film this brilliant and original could have been topped or repeated.