"Love" is written on the fingers of one hand, "Hate" on the other. The pendulum swings mercilessly between love and hate. Two children carry a secret with them and are therefore mercilessly hunted by a false itinerant preacher. With his only directorial work, acting titan Charles Laughton has left a monolith in film history that has no equal. The Night of the Hunter is a polished masterpiece, a gripping psychological thriller and a complex musing on the manipulability of people all in one. The film skilfully combines the traditions of European silent film with the elegance of Hollywood. During filming, Laughton pushed his leading actor Robert Mitchum to such an extreme that he wanted nothing more to do with the director for years. When the film premiered, it was met with much outrage - today his mastery is beyond doubt.

Loan of the film print with kind support of Filmarchiv Austria.