4. Night of the Hunter
Actor Charles Laughton's directorial debut pays homage to German Expressionism with his creepy fairytale "Night of the Hunter". Like "Ugetsu", his tale of a real life boogeyman trying to get kids has an ethereal tone as he uses to full effect the black and white cinematography. Religious overtones aplenty, the villain of Reverend Harry Powell, played by the wonderful Robert Mitchum, is the devil incarnate. His famous monologue of "the story of love/hate" has been echoed in films such as Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing". The saddest part about the film is the talent that veteran actor, Laughton, shows as this would prove to be his first and last film as the lack of commercial success hindered him from directing any other productions. But, this film has put its mark among cinephiles with its mix of religion and terror. After making my friends watching this, "Leaning on Everlasting Arms" has become as synonymous with murderers just as "In the Hall of the Mountain King" did 24 years ago in Fritz Lang's "M".