Directed by Charles Laugton and starring Robert Mitchum, Lillian Gish, with Shelley Winters, the film tells the story of a preacher who epitomizes a wolf in sheep's clothing. While serving a short sentence in jail, this "preacher" (Mitchum) learns from another man who is to be hanged that he hid $10,000 near his home. Intent on finding it, the fanatical man slithers his way into the life of the man's widow (Winters) hoping to find the money by using her kids. They are adamant to not tell where it is and they soon discover what kind of man he is. After he murders their mother, the two children flee down the river. There they are taken in by the hospitable Christian woman Rachel Cooper (Gish) who has other orphans. They grow to love and trust her as their own mother. However, the sly preacher is bent on taking them away along with the money. Gish realizes his evil and has none of it. In the final scenes it is proved that love always wins over hate. This movie is certainly chilling, and disconcerting but the latter half I found especially good. Laughton deserves credit and the acting was good as well.
This film is a powerful and at times disturbing picture of love vs. hate, good vs. evil, and the sinful vs. the righteous. The Preacher embodies the "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" mentioned in Matthew 7. He is a man who professes to follow the Lord, but in reality he is a "ferocious wolf" who only looks out for himself and ultimately chases after a pair of children to take their money. It says that "by their fruit you will recognize them," and thus by the fact he was in prison and also a killer, he is easily recognized to be no good.
On the other end of the spectrum the character of Rachel Cooper is the exact opposite. She is loving and kind to the children in her care.She spends time reading the Bible and has her children study it as well. Furthermore, she does not allow her self to be swayed by the Preacher and she easily sees right through him when others did not.
4.5/5 Stars
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." - Matthew 7
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