Mise-en-scène, Lighting and familiar image in The Night of the Hunter

Cinematographer Stanley Cortez’s lighting in Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter is more than just beautiful—it effectively conveys character, narrative, and mood.  David Monahan analyzes a few scenes from the film to illustrate Cortez’s and Laughton’s use of the “familiar image,” as well as the expressive and narrative power of lighting.