You've probably read the synopsis of the movie from The Marquis, but what it doesn't say is that this is a fantasy adventure. It smacks of the darkest tales of the brothers Grimm, and preaches the lesson that innocent children will prevail over thoroughly evil adults. Okay, so they have some help from a fairy godmother, but they win and Harry Powell is shown to be the coward that we all knew him to be. Laughton directed this tale with all the elements of fairy tales, with a dash of Berthold Brecht's German theater. Was it art? Sure! Did it go over the heads of American audiences in 1959? You bet! If you can get into the mood of the film, you'll enjoy every scene. This deserves a second look.