Moonfleet

(Fritz Lang, US 1955, 87 min., 35mm)

Dryden Kids. A young orphan finds himself under the grudging guardianship of a handsome renegade (Stewart Granger), a ruthless but essentially gallant man who treats the boy to a thrilling life among smugglers, cutthroats, and thieves. With strong hints of Treasure Island, this colorful tale of high adventure set along the rugged English coast offers action and suspense in equal measure. “Moonfleet is the cinephile’s most beautiful film, the positive version of Night of the Hunter’s malevolent counterpart: the little boy insists on having a father, he chooses him and makes him act as his father, though the man would prefer to act otherwise. . . . One of Lang’s most beautiful lines is when the little boy says, ‘The exercise was beneficial, sir . . . ’” – Serge Daney