Borrowing or stealing?

One of the joys of trivia is seeing references to earlier work in favorite films. The first clip is from Night of the Hunter.

First things first. This is a wonderful scene. Robert Mitchum has an enchanting baritone and Lillian Gish joining in gives me chills. And then there's the cinematography, the perfect use of black and white, evil confronting good, but good is not defenseless. Lillian Gish as Mrs. Cooper might be the best example of Christian love ever put on film. And then there's her last line, said with such sadness.

"It's a hard world for little things."

The second scene in H.I.'s nightmare from Raising Arizona. The Coen brothers are serious students of film and the borrowing (or theft) of this line is not coincidence.

The films are different as can be, but they have a common thread, protecting children from evil. If you haven't seen them, I strongly recommend both of these films.