Honestly, I can't be objective when it comes to the topic of Frankenstein...mini rant: the movies don't get it...VICTOR (the creator) is the novels "monster" while the films make the creature a monster...and there are other glaring differences between any film version of Frankenstein and the original novel, end rant.
This film is considered to be the first horror film (even though technically Dracula was made first), Frankenstein achieved a different level of popularity. I can't blame audiences for flocking to this film, while it may not be the shocking gory horror films we are used to, Whale (the director) knows how to tell a story. Also, this film is responsible for what most people know/believe about the Frankenstein story: appearance, characteristics, character names, etc.
Everyone knows (or thinks they know) the story of Frankenstein: a "mad" scientist with a hunchback assistant named Igor lurks around graveyards and creates a green skinned monster with a flat head and bolts in his neck, and the creator is evil...yes, this all happens, but there is a little more to the story. Taking its cue (a very overarching cue) from the novel by Mary Shelly, Whale tried to show the humanity and madness in all of his characters. Henry (Clive....in the novel the scientist is Victor and his friend is Henry, but this film and its sequels switch the names) is driven by his desire to discover something new and his excitement cannot be contained as he yells his memorable line "It's alive!" a few moments later remarking "Oh, in the name of God! Now I know what it feels like to be God!" (which was removed from the original film by censors, but since it's been re-released the lines are back in place)...he's not crazy, just driven. Also, his creature (Karloff) acts more like a confused child. Whale wisely chose to build up the suspense and then introduce his 'monster' by having him walk into the light, wow. Also involved is Henry's assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye....this character is not present in the novel, and in a later sequel is named Igor which is the name which has stuck) who tortures the creature whenever Henry is not in the room. Watching this unravel is Elizabeth (Mae Clarke...she screams--a lot but is otherwise pretty boring) Henry's fiance, Victor (John Boles) Henry's best friend, Professor Waldman (Edward Van Sloan) Henry's mentor who is horrified by Henry's experiment, Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) Henry's father who provides comic relief, and the Burgermeister Herr Vogel (Lionel Belmore...in German Burgermeister means mayor, and Vogel means bird). While this isn't a long film it is powerful. I showed this film to a group of English majors who (despite reading the book...and knowing what was going to happen) reacted to every scene in the same way a person unfamiliar with the story or film would react. I can't say that I love this film...but after choosing this topic for my Undergraduate Senior Research Paper, I have a new-found respect for Whale's efforts.
Rent it once: it's a classic horror film....or I should say a REAL horror film, and definitely worth seeing at least once (its culture...deal with it)
--: yes, some parts are corny and not nearly as advanced as we're used to, but that is the beauty of this film...it's not bogged down by technology, the actors are reacting to one another in a natural progression and maybe it's not realistic but you'll still be creeped out!
This film is considered to be the first horror film (even though technically Dracula was made first), Frankenstein achieved a different level of popularity. I can't blame audiences for flocking to this film, while it may not be the shocking gory horror films we are used to, Whale (the director) knows how to tell a story. Also, this film is responsible for what most people know/believe about the Frankenstein story: appearance, characteristics, character names, etc.
Everyone knows (or thinks they know) the story of Frankenstein: a "mad" scientist with a hunchback assistant named Igor lurks around graveyards and creates a green skinned monster with a flat head and bolts in his neck, and the creator is evil...yes, this all happens, but there is a little more to the story. Taking its cue (a very overarching cue) from the novel by Mary Shelly, Whale tried to show the humanity and madness in all of his characters. Henry (Clive....in the novel the scientist is Victor and his friend is Henry, but this film and its sequels switch the names) is driven by his desire to discover something new and his excitement cannot be contained as he yells his memorable line "It's alive!" a few moments later remarking "Oh, in the name of God! Now I know what it feels like to be God!" (which was removed from the original film by censors, but since it's been re-released the lines are back in place)...he's not crazy, just driven. Also, his creature (Karloff) acts more like a confused child. Whale wisely chose to build up the suspense and then introduce his 'monster' by having him walk into the light, wow. Also involved is Henry's assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye....this character is not present in the novel, and in a later sequel is named Igor which is the name which has stuck) who tortures the creature whenever Henry is not in the room. Watching this unravel is Elizabeth (Mae Clarke...she screams--a lot but is otherwise pretty boring) Henry's fiance, Victor (John Boles) Henry's best friend, Professor Waldman (Edward Van Sloan) Henry's mentor who is horrified by Henry's experiment, Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) Henry's father who provides comic relief, and the Burgermeister Herr Vogel (Lionel Belmore...in German Burgermeister means mayor, and Vogel means bird). While this isn't a long film it is powerful. I showed this film to a group of English majors who (despite reading the book...and knowing what was going to happen) reacted to every scene in the same way a person unfamiliar with the story or film would react. I can't say that I love this film...but after choosing this topic for my Undergraduate Senior Research Paper, I have a new-found respect for Whale's efforts.
Rent it once: it's a classic horror film....or I should say a REAL horror film, and definitely worth seeing at least once (its culture...deal with it)
--: yes, some parts are corny and not nearly as advanced as we're used to, but that is the beauty of this film...it's not bogged down by technology, the actors are reacting to one another in a natural progression and maybe it's not realistic but you'll still be creeped out!
Rating: Unrated
Director: James Whale
Starring: Boris Karloff as the Monster
Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein
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