History YMMV / TheNightOfTheHunter

* ValuesResonance: On the other hand, part of the reason for the film's revaluation over time was in critics finding the horrors represented by Harry Powell (a misogynistic religious fanatic fooling people with his aura of good pastor) increasingly relevant in modern society. This also goes for the film's portrayal of Ms. Cooper as a strong, independent older woman who saves the day without the aid of any man.

* OnceOriginalNowOverdone: At the time of the movie's release, [[SinisterMinister portraying a priest as a villain]] was considered a shocking and controversial subversion of Hollywood's usual tropes. Nowadays, it would be more surprising to see one portrayed positively.

** While not the first film to tackle mob vigilante justice or lynchings - most notably Film/TheOxBowIncident, Literature/OfMiceAndMen, and Film/JohnnyGuitar had all tackled these themes prior - the angry mob that forms with the intent of lynching Harry Powell is depicted in as negative and ominous a light as the Preacher himself. Where most films of the period that were critical of lynching framed it as being negative because the target was an innocent victim being wrongfully persecuted, Creator/CharlesLaughton goes to lengths to show that mob justice is wrong even if it is directed towards the guilty or the evil. Icey Spoon's snarled face as she screams "Lynch him! Lynch him!" is especially disconcerting to watch through a modern-day lens, with the knowledge that lynchings throughout history have been perpetrated just as often by ordinary members of a community and not just by roughneck cattle ranchers in black hats.

* FandomRivalry: While there's plenty of intersection between fans who love Mitchum's performances in both Night of the Hunter and [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/CapeFear Cape Fear]], there's an ongoing [[http://www.moviefanfare.com/?p=24119 debate]] over which character is the overall better villain - Reverend Harry Powell or Max Cady. It's generally agreed on that Max Cady is the more physically imposing and immediately dangerous of the two, while Harry Powell is generally more dangerous because of his ideology and worldview coupled with his charismatic charm - with the rebuttals being that Max Cady is physically powerful but has too simplistic a motivation, and that Powell is more complex but is grandiose, hammy and gets easily taken down by a little old lady. The fact that the American Film Institute put Max Cady one ranking ahead of Harry Powell on its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Heroes_%26_Villains#:~:text=Heroes%20%20%20%20Rank%20%20%20,%20%202000%20%2017%20more%20rows%20 50 Greatest Movie Villains]] list in 2003 hasn't done much to settle this argument.

* FandomRivalry: While there's plenty of intersection between fans who love Mitchum's performances in both Night of the Hunter and [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/CapeFear Cape Fear]], there's an ongoing debate over which character is the overall better villain - Reverend Harry Powell or Max Cady. It's generally agreed on that Max Cady is the more physically imposing and immediately dangerous of the two, while Harry Powell is generally more dangerous because of his ideology and worldview coupled with his charismatic charm - with the rebuttals being that Max Cady is physically powerful but has too simplistic a motivation, and that Powell is more complex but is too grandiose and prone to hamming it up while also getting easily taken down by a little old lady. The fact that the American Film Institute put Max Cady one ranking ahead of Harry Powell on its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Heroes_%26_Villains#:~:text=Heroes%20%20%20%20Rank%20%20%20,%20%202000%20%2017%20more%20rows%20 50 Greatest Movie Villains]] list in 2003 hasn't done much to settle this argument.

* EvilIsSexy: Thanks to being played by Robert Mitchum, who was cast partially for his sex appeal, and, whilst it's never outright stated, said sex appeal (along with his charisma) likely helps to charm the townsfolk and Willa especially.

* EvilIsSexy: Thanks to being played by Robert Mitchum, who was cast partially for his sex appeal, and, whilst it's never outright stated, said sex appeal (along with his charisma) likely helps to charm the townsfolk and Willa especially.
** Even after Powell makes it abundantly clear that he's evil and intends to kill John and Pearl (and quite possibly Rachel Cooper and the other kids in the house) - not to mention after he's found guilty in a court of law and sentenced to hang for his crimes - Ruby is STILL entranced by his charms and proclaims to still be in love him, waiting outside the courthouse for him and having to be dragged off by Miss Cooper.

* FandomRivalry: While there's plenty of intersection between fans who love Mitchum's performances in both Night of the Hunter and [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/CapeFear Cape Fear]], there's an ongoing debate over which character is the overall better villain - Reverend Harry Powell or Max Cady. It's generally agreed on that Max Cady is the more physically imposing and immediately dangerous of the two, while Harry Powell is generally more dangerous because of his ideology and worldview coupled with his charismatic charm (the fact that the American Film Institute put Max Cady one ranking ahead of Harry Powell on its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Heroes_%26_Villains#:~:text=Heroes%20%20%20%20Rank%20%20%20,%20%202000%20%2017%20more%20rows%20 50 Greatest Movie Villains]] list in 2003 hasn't done much to settle this argument).

** Even after Powell makes it abundantly clear that he's evil and intends to kill John and Pearl (and quite possibly Rachel Cooper and the other kids in the house) - not to mention after he's found guilty in a court of law and sentenced to hang for his crimes - Ruby is STILL entranced by his charms and proclaims to still be in love him - to the point where she's staking outside the courthouse waiting for him and has to be dragged off by Miss Cooper.

* FandomRivalry: While there's plenty of intersection between fans who love Mitchum's performances in both Night of the Hunter and [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/CapeFear Cape Fear]], there's an ongoing debate over which character is the overall better villain - Reverend Harry Powell or Max Cady. It's generally agreed on that Max Cady is the more physically imposing and immediately dangerous of the two, while Harry Powell is generally more dangerous because of his ideology and worldview (the fact that the American Film Institute put Max Cady one ranking ahead of Harry Powell on its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Heroes_%26_Villains#:~:text=Heroes%20%20%20%20Rank%20%20%20,%20%202000%20%2017%20more%20rows%20 50 Greatest Movie Villains]] list in 2003 hasn't done much to settle this argument).

* FandomRivalry: While there's plenty of intersection between fans who love Mitchum's performances in both Night of the Hunter and [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/CapeFear Cape Fear]], there's an ongoing debate over which character is the overall better villain - Reverend Harry Powell or Max Cady. It's generally agreed on that Max Cady is the more physically imposing and immediately dangerous of the two, while Harry Powell is generally more dangerous because of his ideology and worldview (the fact that the American Film Institute put Max Cady one ranking ahead of Harry Powell on its 50 Greatest Movie Villains list in 2003 hasn't done much to settle this argument).

* AccidentalAesop: Don't let Someone push you into something you are unsure about. Willa when she first meets Harry has some doubts about him not he least being that John seems to know something is off about him. However Icey keeps hounding her and basically trying to force Willa to date Harry. Things might have played out a lot different if Willa had not let herself be forced into marrying Harry.

* EsotericHappyEnding: The ending can also feel a bit like this. Sure, Harry is going to be hung, but John and Pearl still lost both of their parents, and there's quite a bit of indication John if not both the kids have either quietly [[SanitySlippage gone insane]] or at the very least now have a form of PTSD. The ending where John gives Rachel an apple for Christmas makes him seem more dead inside then the heartwarming moment it's meant to come off as. This does follow the fairy tale theme true, as the endings of those stories didn't always end happily ever after.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ben Harper. It may be difficult to feel very bad for him when he puts all the stress of hiding the stolen money on his eight-to-ten-year-old son, rather than telling his wife Willa (an adult who might have been able to handle it much better). Whilst he couldn't have known what Powell would do, it still isn't very fair to put that sort of burden on a child.

* TheWoobie: Willa Harper. She lost her husband, and was forced into marrying an evil serial killer by her friends. He then proceeds to force her into believing she is a sinful woman who deserves to be abused, before murdering and drowning her.

* TheScrappy: Icey Spoon, you are an ass.

* AccidentalAesop: Don't let Someone push you into something you are unsure about. Willa when she first meets Harry has some doubts about him not he least being that John seems to know something is off about him. However Icey keeps hounding her and basically trying to force Willa to date Harry. Everything that happened including Willas death could have been avoided if Willa hadn't let someone force her into marrying Harry.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Rachel Cooper only appears in the final third of the film, and yet the audience absolutely loves her due to her sympathetic backstory, [[FriendToAllChildren the fact that she's a protective, considerate and reasonable adoptive mother to a group of orphaned children]], being the only person other then John to see Harry Powell for who he truly is, and not being afraid to stand her ground against her, and overall being just as well-hearted and caring as Powell is malevolent.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Rachel Cooper only appears in the final third of the film, and yet the audience absolutely loves her due to her sympathetic backstory, [[FriendOfAllChildren the fact that she's a protective, considerate and reasonable adoptive mother to a group of orphaned children]], being the only person other then John to see Harry Powell for who he truly is, and not being afraid to stand her ground against her, and overall being just as well-hearted and caring as Powell is malevolent.