The Night of the Hunter: Difference between revisions

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{{tropelist}}
{{tropelist}}
* [[Adults Are Useless]]: Pretty much everyone except Rachel {{spoiler|and even she admits she "lost her son's love" a long time ago.}}
* [[Adults Are Useless]]: Pretty much everyone except Rachel {{spoiler|and even she admits she "lost her son's love" a long time ago.}}
** Especially Willa, who {{spoiler|doesn't lift a hand in her own defense when Harry kills her, despite knowing full well he's likely to kill her children next.}}
** Especially Willa, who {{spoiler|doesn't lift a hand in her own defense when Harry kills her, despite knowing full well he's likely to kill her children next.}}
* [[The Atoner]]: {{spoiler|Rachel has stated that she "lost her son's love" a long time before the story started. She seems to be looking after the kids as a way to make up for her previous actions. All in all, this just demonstrates that she's a better person than most of the other adults in the film. She knows she did something wrong and now she's trying to make it right, and she doesn't deny her sins.}}
* [[The Atoner]]: {{spoiler|Rachel has stated that she "lost her son's love" a long time before the story started. She seems to be looking after the kids as a way to make up for her previous actions. All in all, this just demonstrates that she's a better person than most of the other adults in the film. She knows she did something wrong and now she's trying to make it right, and she doesn't deny her sins.}}
* [[Author Filibuster]]: Invoked. Rachel ends the film with a sermon about how children can recover from any psychological trauma, blithely ignoring that at least two of her foster children have quietly gone insane. The Hays code insisted that the children be all right at the end.
* [[Author Filibuster]]: Invoked. Rachel ends the film with a sermon about how children can recover from any psychological trauma, blithely ignoring that at least two of her foster children have quietly gone insane. The Hays code insisted that the children be all right at the end.
* [[Bad Habits]]
* [[Bad Habits]]
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* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]
* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]
* [[Fille Fatale]]: Ruby, who has some serious psychological problems.
* [[Fille Fatale]]: Ruby, who has some serious psychological problems.
* [[Flashback Echo]]: Done more subtly than many recent cases. At the end of the film when {{spoiler|Harry is being arrested}}, John's freak-out, begging them not to take him away, and {{spoiler|throwing the money}}, echoes what he was feeling but didn't fully express when his father was being arrested at the [[Book Ends|beginning of the film.]]
* [[Flashback Echo]]: Done more subtly than many recent cases. At the end of the film when {{spoiler|Harry is being arrested}}, John's freak-out, begging them not to take him away, and {{spoiler|throwing the money}}, echoes what he was feeling but didn't fully express when his father was being arrested at the [[Book Ends|beginning of the film.]]
* [[The Great Depression]]
* [[The Great Depression]]
* [[Grimmification]]: Notably the bible verses and children's songs used to eerie effect.
* [[Grimmification]]: Notably the bible verses and children's songs used to eerie effect.
<!-- %%** Can we have some detail? Preferably from somebody who's read the full version of the book? (Which is out of copyright in the US, incidentally--just written in a [[{{Understatement}} unique style]].) -->
<!-- %%** Can we have some detail? Preferably from somebody who's read the full version of the book? (Which is out of copyright in the US, incidentally--just written in a [[{{Understatement}} unique style]].) -->
* [[Guess Who I'm Marrying]]: Just about the wickedest stepfather in anything ever, that's who!
* [[Guess Who I'm Marrying]]: Just about the wickedest stepfather in anything ever, that's who!
* [[Henpecked Husband]]: Walt Spoon, who notably has to endure his wife ignoring his presence to tell half the town about {{spoiler|how she ignores him during sex.}}
* [[Henpecked Husband]]: Walt Spoon, who notably has to endure his wife ignoring his presence to tell half the town about {{spoiler|how she ignores him during sex.}}
* [[Heroic Vow]]: John has sworn not to tell anyone where the stolen money is, and has to remind Pearl of this frequently. {{spoiler|The finale reveals this is a pointed subversion: all John had to do all along was return the money to the police and Powell wouldn't have been a threat. Keeping the secret caused the deaths of at least two people, including John's mother.}}
* [[Heroic Vow]]: John has sworn not to tell anyone where the stolen money is, and has to remind Pearl of this frequently. {{spoiler|The finale reveals this is a pointed subversion: all John had to do all along was return the money to the police and Powell wouldn't have been a threat. Keeping the secret caused the deaths of at least two people, including John's mother.}}
** Of course, the movie seems to be trying to point out just how shitty it was for John's father to put that burden on his young son in the first place.
** Of course, the movie seems to be trying to point out just how shitty it was for John's father to put that burden on his young son in the first place.
* [[Hypocrite]]: A town ''full'' of them, exemplified by Mrs. Spoon.
* [[Hypocrite]]: A town ''full'' of them, exemplified by Mrs. Spoon.
* [[Implacable Man]]: "Don't he ever sleep?"
* [[Implacable Man]]: "Don't he ever sleep?"
** {{spoiler|He's also shot point blank by a surprised Rachel during the climax. He shrieks and flees, but is still alive the following morning.}}
** {{spoiler|He's also shot point blank by a surprised Rachel during the climax. He shrieks and flees, but is still alive the following morning.}}
* [[Ironic Nursery Tune]]: "There Once Was a Pretty Fly"
* [[Ironic Nursery Tune]]: "There Once Was a Pretty Fly".
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: The heavy handed Mrs. Rachel Cooper.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: The heavy handed Mrs. Rachel Cooper.
* [[Knife Nut]]: He doesn't like it when you touch it...
* [[Knife Nut]]: He doesn't like it when you touch it...
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* [[Large Ham]]: Harry Powell. "JOHN DOESN'T MATTER!"
* [[Large Ham]]: Harry Powell. "JOHN DOESN'T MATTER!"
* [[The Load]]: Pearl, who, even for a four-year-old, is pretty useless throughout the film.
* [[The Load]]: Pearl, who, even for a four-year-old, is pretty useless throughout the film.
* [[Manipulative Bastard]]: Harry
* [[Manipulative Bastard]]: Harry.
* [[Meaningful Name]]: The Spoons (the wife's name is Icey), who sell ice cream.
* [[Meaningful Name]]: The Spoons (the wife's name is Icey), who sell ice cream.
* [[Never Mess with Granny]]: Rachel {{spoiler|pulls a shotgun on Powell when he goes after John.}}
* [[Never Mess with Granny]]: Rachel {{spoiler|pulls a shotgun on Powell when he goes after John.}}
* [[Nostalgia Filter]]: The adorably quaint little town.
* [[Nostalgia Filter]]: The adorably quaint little town.
* [[Offscreen Teleportation]]: With [[Lampshade Hanging]]
* [[Offscreen Teleportation]]: With [[Lampshade Hanging]].
* [[One-Book Author]], in regard to Charles Laughton's directorial career (The original release received a poor reception from both audiences and critics)
* [[One-Book Author]]: In regard to Charles Laughton's directorial career (the original release received a poor reception from both audiences and critics).
* [[Only Sane Man]]: John Harper, although even he has his crazy moments. Mr. Spoon sometimes has moments, but his wife is swift to fix ''that''.
* [[Only Sane Man]]: John Harper, although even he has his crazy moments. Mr. Spoon sometimes has moments, but his wife is swift to fix ''that''.
** Rachel Cooper, smart enough to see the inconsistencies in Powell's sob story, smart enough to pull a shotgun on him.
** Rachel Cooper, smart enough to see the inconsistencies in Powell's sob story, smart enough to pull a shotgun on him.
* [[Scenery Porn]]: The riverboat scene.
* [[Scenery Porn]]: The riverboat scene.
* [[Serial Killer]]
* [[Serial Killer]]
* [[Sinister Minister]]: Harry maintains that he's doing God's work. Then again, he's nuts. {{spoiler|Rachel doesn't fall for the act for a moment.}}
* [[Sinister Minister]]: Harry maintains that he's doing God's work. Then again, he's nuts. {{spoiler|Rachel doesn't fall for the act for a moment.}}
* [[Smug Snake]]: Mrs. Spoon really needs to die. Harry's a smug bastard, too.
* [[Smug Snake]]: Mrs. Spoon really needs to die. Harry's a smug bastard, too.
* [[Soundtrack Dissonance]]: ''Leanin', leanin', safe and secure from all alarm...''
* [[Soundtrack Dissonance]]: ''Leanin', leanin', safe and secure from all alarm...''
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