Since I love "film noir" and Robert Mitchum, I thought this must be one of those chilling masterpieces I should treat myself, so I dived into it absolutely unprepared.
During first 10 minutes I said to myself "wait, this is a very bad movie, what is this, Ed Wood?" - there was something very strange about script and the way story unravelled. And constantly during the movie I saw gaffs and occasional over-acting (scene in basement?) but I still watched mesmerised because it hypnotised me in a nightmarish way. It definitely wasn't what I expected and I am still unsure how to categorise this movie because it definitely is not "film noir" but some surrealistic dream that actually works very powerfully, I mean I still think about it much more than about many other movies. Than I went on line and found out its a recognised classic because of this "bad dream" quality, its not "film noir" at all but a art-movie of first order and everything was done intentionally. Ah, now I get it. Still strange how a thin line makes huge difference between Ed Wood and a classic.
Robert Mitchum is so perfect here as a serial killer (talking to himself and God, hating women obviously and being absolutely psychotic) that its impossible to imagine anybody else in this role. He dominates the story so much that its easy to overlook supporting cast that reminds me very much of citizen of "Frankestein" movies specially Mrs. Icey Spoon who is a perfect caricature of righteous busybody, later a scary monster herself. Shelley Winters does wonders with a fairly limited role but her repressed sexual hysteria/religious delusion is very powerful - there is a scene later in the movie where she doesn't talk at all and this is one of most unforgettable scenes in the whole movie, but I suggest you should see it for yourself. Alcoholic uncle Birdie Steptoe is somebody we expect would help the children and he does, thought not in a way we would expect. And than there is wonderful old-time actress Lilian Gish (star from silent era) in a quite epic role that seems like a perfect continuation of her earlier, sentimental work - it is a rare instance of actress finding perfect character definition of her career in later age. Children themselves are surprisingly good, they are not a cutesy Hollywood children but more like Hansel and Grethel of Depression era.
Visually, the movie is stunning, with true expressionistic look and lots of Freudian symbols all over. I understand it wasn't successful back than but gained a reputation with time and deservedly so, makes you wonder what else would director come up with if he had a chance. What would Hitchcock made out of this?
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