Bride Of Frankenstein

Bride Of Frankenstein...1935...unrated...75 minutes...starring Colin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger, and Boris Karloff...adapted from Mary Shelley's work by William Hurlbut...directed by James Whale

Sequels are often a tricky business; I know of only a few that manage to stand up to their predecessor movies let alone surpass them. After seeing "Bride", however, I have another selection to add to this short list. What we have here is one of those works that surpasses just being a film. This classic is a movie that has woven itself into the history of the cinema, not just for horror films but for the medium in general.

First, we are shown an opening sequence that shows a conversation between Byron and the Shelleys that leads us into the movie. Elsa Lanchester plays Mary Shelley in this short part, as well as the Bride herself later, and gives viewers the transition into the story proper. The story picks up after the end of "Frankenstein", and as I hinted at before the monster has proven to be hardier than the local villagers had hoped. Dr. Frankenstein has survived his calamitous fall as well, and only returns to his crazed pursuit of reanimation after being both tempted and later coerced by a warped colleague, Dr. Pretorius. Pretorius has created his own miniature life forms, but wants to collaborate with Dr. Frankenstein to build a woman. Meanwhile, the Monster has been captured but escapes, generally gets treated poorly, but finally receives a small measure of kindness when he stumbles across a cottage that houses a blind hermit. Not surprisingly, this doesn't last...and the Monster ends up working with the scheming Pretorius to get Frankenstein to build him a companion. The conclusion...well, if you don't know, see it for yourself.

Now, I could go on and on about this piece...and many critics have. To be fair, there's lots to look at and admire...the performances are wonderful, the artistry of the sets and lighting is distinctive, the makeup is still iconic (though this time the get-up is much kinder to Karloff). The Monster does speak in this film, and while the actor himself was worried that this decision was the wrong one, I think it adds to the pathos of the created being. There's also an interweaving of humor in the film that gives it lightness in places and a strange twist in others...overall adding to the movie's movement.

Again, I'm not sure how much this film translates to the modern audience, but in the horror genre this movie is a foundation of many films that later come down the road. ("Gothic" and "The Bride" are two quick examples.) For some people, I'm sure that watching this would be "eating your veggies" all over again, but it's worth it. If you only see one of the Frankenstein films, see this one.

My rating: 4 and a half tiny people in bottles.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein...1931...unrated...70 minutes...starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, and of course Boris Karloff...written by John L. Balderson (adapted from the Mary Shelley book)...directed by James Whale

I can think of no better way to restart this blog than with the phrase:"...It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!!!!!"

This selection is a movie to watch for so many reasons. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's without flaws and is completely accessible to a modern audience. It's not. But the word "iconic" is also so highly appropriate in this case. If you want to see where the film history of Frankenstein starts, then taking the slightly-more-than-an-hour to see this Universal picture is mandatory. Do it, it's good for you! Yes, I'm saying that seeing the movie is the equivalent of eating your peas if you're a horror fan. But I'm right.

The film is a compressed, gentler version of the book designed to appeal to the audience of the day. The Monster isn't possessed of the intelligence that Adam has in the book, but Karloff's genius is being able to help convey the emotional truth behind the creature's existence. Without dialogue, his facial expression conveys pity, loneliness, anger, and frustration at a world that is mostly hostile to him. Honestly, having someone like Fritz (not Igor) in my face in the first days of my existence wouldn't make me trust in my environment all that well.

The makeup is remarkable to look at, the sets are a marvel, and the overall visual sense of this selection is something that's been copied so very often that seeing the origin is worthwhile. Despite what I expected, there were only two fatalities in the movie and I expected more. That's part of why I call it a gentler version of the story. I'd say three, but I know there are sequels so the fate of the Monster, while grim looking, isn't the end.

In terms of what I've been exposed to throughout my life, I find it hard to give it a high rating just on the historical value alone...though personally that makes "Frankenstein" a must-watch for me. But it's short, and there's some wonderful things to see...so if you have some time and want to see some history, then the seventy minutes here are well-spent.

My rating: Three and a half lightning-spewing machines out of five.