Frankenstein

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, Edward Van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Dwight Frye
Directed by: James Whale
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Horror, Drama
1931

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A scientist (Colin Clive) experiments with human life, attempting to create life out of nothing. When his creation comes to life, he proves to be more difficult to handle than he imagined. The creature escapes, wrecking havoc on the countryside.

Review:
Tim: Frankenstein is one of the most influential monster movies of all time. This is the film that created the image of Frankenstein's monster that we have today- big forehead, bolts in neck, slow moving, etc. Some of those images didn't exist before this film. It was a major departure from Mary Shelley's book (which is very good, and I highly recommend). Despite those departures, this is a very good movie.

This film features so many iconic moments that you'd probably recognize even if you haven't seen the movie. The look of Frankenstein's monster, the mad scientist's lab, villagers with torches, and other scenes are so famous. This movie also features one of the most recognized movie lines of all time- Dr. Frankenstein's cry of "It's alive. It's alive. It's alive!" It was really cool seeing that moment unfold on screen.

There's a few things about this movie that I liked, but also had some struggles with. Here's an example (and if you don't want to know anything about the movie, here's a SPOILER WARNING for you)- there is a very disturbing scene where Frankenstein's monster approaches a small girl playing with flowers near a lake. He eventually picks the girl up, and throws her in the water, causing her to drown. This scene is awful, but so powerful in the course of the film. It was so important, yet was cut from the movie for decades because of censorship issues in the 1930s. So, this is something I liked about the movie- putting such a horrific image in the film, but I hated that it was cut from the film for so long.

In addition, the movie ends on a more happy note, which was completely not how the movie should have ended. Again, this was the filmmakers succumbing to censorship pressure, so the film copped out by having the film end on a slightly happier note- instead of tragically, which is how it should have ended. The movie does a great job of creating a sinister, dark, creepy atmosphere, but doesn't execute fully on it. The movie could have been more creepy, more horrifying, and therefore, more memorable.

I also appreciated that this movie played the whole thing ultra-seriously. There's no winking at the audience or lightheartedness in this film. It approaches the subject in a serious, tragic manner, and tries hard to follow through on that. It could have come across as silly, but everything is delivered with seriousness. Before the film begins, one of the actors comes out "on stage" and warns the audience about the frightening nature of the film they are about to watch. I loved that, but I just wish the film pushed the boundaries even further, instead of giving in on certain issues.

Still, Frankenstein is an incredibly influential film. It's one of the earlier monster movies, and one of the most important. I enjoyed the movie very much.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Dracula, The Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein