Frankenstein
In the name of Science!
There is only one monster from the
golden era of horror movies that has managed to spawn countless
sequels, remakes, adaptations, and spoofs while staying almost
exactly the same: Frankenstein's monster. Though commonly referred to
simply as “Frankenstein” the monster has changed very from it's
major motion picture in 1931. When people think of Frankenstein
today, they are still thinking of Boris Karloff 's stone face and
neck bolts. Even the remake starring Robert De Niro in a much more
realistic interpretation of how the character looks could not change
the public's perception. It is a true testament to how important the
1931 movie really is. Of course, our knowledge of things get
distorted over the years thanks to all the various appearances of the
character. Sure we remember the big lines like “It's Alive!” but
do most people know who said it? When you ask “Who was Dr.
Frankenstein's assistant in the movie?” most would be incorrect in
saying “Igor”. For a character so beloved in the horror world,
sometimes people get the simplest facts wrong.
Frankenstein is a 1931 Universal
Pictures horror movie based on the novel of the same name by Mary
Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive (Bride Of Frankenstein, Jane
Eyre) as Heinrich “Henry” Frankenstein and Boris Karloff (The
Mummy, Bride Of Frankenstein) as The Monster, though in the
beginning credits, the Monster's role is billed only with a question
mark. Henry Frankenstein is a young scientist determined to reanimate
dead tissue and create new life. With the help of his hunchback
assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye, Dracula, The Invisible Man), Henry
steals corpses in an effort to piece together a human body for his
ghoulish experiments. To continue with his morbid work, Henry has
become reclusive, setting up a laboratory in an abandoned watch tower
far from town. Elizabeth (Mae Clarke, The Public Enemy, Waterloo
Bridge) Henry's fiance, grows concerned over his increasingly strange
behavior and, with the help of her friend Victor Mortiz (John Boles,
Sinners In Paradise, Curly Top), reaches out to Dr. Waldman (Edward
Van Sloan, Dracula, The Black Room) for help. Dr. Waldman informs
Elizabeth of Henry's dark experiments and all three agree to go see
him. They find Henry in the last stages of his experiment. They watch
in horror and amazement as thunder and lightning start up Henry's
machines and give life to the patchwork of dead body parts, giving
life to a hulking monster. Unfortunately, because of a mistake by
Fritz, an abnormal brain was put into the monster's body and he
proves difficult to control. Though he is hideous to look at, the
monster is a simple, gentle creature. He is like a newborn baby,
discovering the world for the first time. Fritz takes sadistic
pleasure in torturing the monster with a torch. His fear is mistaken
as an attack so Henry and Dr. Waldman chains him up in the dungeon.
Later, they discover Fritz strangled to death by the monster and
determine that he is unfit for society. The creature eventually
escapes, strangling Dr. Waldman in the process. While Henry and
Elizabeth prepare for their wedding, the monster wanders through the
countryside where he meets a little girl. Much to his delight, they
throw flowers into a lake. When the flowers run out, he tosses the
girl into the water, drowning her by accident. An enraged band of
peasants pursue the monster who is headed right for Henry and
Elizabeth's wedding. What will happen to this misunderstood creature
and will Henry be able to save him?
"Look at that manicure! Look at that manicure!!!"
Though it doesn't have the same
supernatural elements as it's counterparts Dracula, The Mummy, and
The Wolfman, Frankenstein manages to be the most frightening. Though
tame by today's standards, the movie truly frightened audiences in
the 1930's. Multiple scenes were censored, including the one
involving the monster throwing the little girl into the lake. The
movie begins with a rather ingenious warning to the audience about
what the shocking things they are about to see. It is a clever
introduction that sets the audience up nicely. While the monster
looks are unnatural, it's the basic human emotions that are both
touching and unnerving. We feel for this creature, born into a world
that does not understand it. Like a baby, it is innocent, with only
the most basic functions of understanding and comprehending. That
touching, childlike humanity makes the monster a truly sympathetic
character. That sympathy is shattered when we see how strong and
violent it could be. Combined with Henry's all-encompassing
obsession, Frankenstein has an incredibly sad and somber tone to it
despite being a horror movie. Every character suffers in some form or
another, making the film a surprisingly tragic experience. The movie
does have some differences from the novel, but the overall tone is
very much the same. If I have any real complaint with the story is
the relatively happy ending.
"Flower Power, you say?"
.
What really helps make the movie work
is the great cast and solid directing. Boris Karloff's performance
conveys the monster's frightening strength and incredible weakness.
Though he never utters a word, Karloff is able to use simple sounds
and movements that speak louder than words. His stone-solid,
emotionless face also seen in The Mummy gives an unnaturalness to the
monster that still unnerves audiences to this day. Colin Clive is
highly enjoyable as the mad scientist Henry Frankenstein. His iconic
scream of “It's Alive!” conveys his absolute madness and has been
used in countless forms of media and entertainment. Universal
Pictures regulars Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan help round out the
cast with good supporting performances. Director James Whale (The
Invisible Man, The Old Dark House) creates a dark and winding
atmosphere, giving the film a Gothic feel. The sets are classic
Universal horror and actually look better than if they were shot in a
real location.
Frankenstein Meets Swamp Thing never fully materialized
We have seen Frankenstein's monster in
all forms of entertainment, whether it was in the wide number of
sequels, remakes, and cross-overs, or The Munsters, comic books, and
Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Throughout it all, it has essentially
stayed the same (Frankenberry doesn't count). The iconic monster was
able to reach it's status through great acting, incredible directing,
and a story that truly touches the audience. One can view
Frankenstein as simply a black-and-white monster movie from the old
days, but they would be missing the bigger picture. It is an
existential story of man's fragile nature and society's inability to
understand. It is a deep and incredibly sad story that most can
relate to. The movie has a decent amount of action and some scenes
deemed “too controversial” when it was first released. Thanks to
the hard work and talent of all involved, Frankenstein has rightly
become a classic, taking it's place on the Mt. Rushmore of Universal
Monsters.
10/10
