0
0
Rating:
Horror movies today are all about the jump scares, violence, gore, and the overall anticipation of something terrible is going to happen. The new school horror crew is Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Pinhead, and so many others now that haunt your dreams. Sometimes the old classic movie monsters can hold their own. Without them, there wouldn’t be the ones listed above. No matter how much time has passed, the classic horror villains will always stand the test of time. What are horror movies without the Wolfman, Dracula, the Mummy, and of course, Frankenstein?
Frankenstein is one of those classic horror movie villains. Now I have seen the 1994 version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I even watched the 1992 version of Frankenstein. For years I thought that is how the Frankenstein monster was made. It wasn’t until my mom read the book and told me that I should read it because it was so good and nothing like the movies. I wondered what could be so different. So, I bought the book and read it. Talk about being nothing like the movies. It is so much better and in-depth. I wondered why it was so different than the film and found out that most of the film is based on a play by Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein.
I want to say that this movie is GREAT!! Even though it doesn’t have the scares or anything that would be deemed scary today, it is still a movie to sit down and watch. Let’s not disrespect the old school. This is how a real work of art and the standard monster movie should be like. No blood, no guts, just acting, and the thrill of watching something be created.
Directed by James Whale and based on Mary Shelley’s novel and Peggy Webling play, the film follows the experimental exploit of the mad scientist Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant named Fritz (Dwight Frye). For years I thought it was Igor. Boy, was I wrong? Fritz huh? Wonder where they got that name from. Henry goes around stealing corpses from graves as he is obsessed with creating human life from the dead. No babies needed, just parts from different people, and let the good times roll. With the only thing left is a brain that Henry sends Fritz to go steal.
During the robbery, Fritz notices two brains on the table: one labeled normal brain and the other criminal brain. After a slight mishap, Fritz steals the criminal brain. With concerns from his family, friends, and former mentor mounting, they visit Henry to bring him back to reality. Henry ignores their fears and shows them the true meaning of his madness. As the elements of a lightning storm are in effect, Henry puts his experiment in motion, ultimately succeeding in what he wanted the most…..bringing his creation to life. Henry sits in the rays of his accomplishment, but as time goes on, he soon realizes the consequences of what it means to play God. Those consequences become a significant reality when the Monster (Boris Karloff) escapes his confinements and runs amok without knowing the harm he is doing. Things come ahead when Henry realizes that he must destroy what he most craved the most. His creation.
This movie was nothing like the book, and yet I have to admit that it was so fun and great to watch. I was pleasantly surprised. What made it enjoyable was the slow build-up to the creation scene. You somewhat knew Henry was crazy, but you didn’t realize how mad he was until the creation scene. I was entirely in tune with the scene as it held my attention. You wondered if the creature would come alive. As the hand of the creature moved and Henry screamed out the iconic phrase, “It’s alive! It’s alive!” over and over again, a slight shiver went down my spine and goosebumps on my skin.
After that, the movie goes into high gear. The moment the Monster shuffles through the door, a chill goes down your spine. You feel sorry for the creature at first, as he has no sense of right or wrong in the world. Sunlight is something foreign to him, and all he knows is pain from his captures. Pretty much, Fritz terrorizes him every day. Then it happens, the creature snaps and goes on a rampage. Yet the saddest scene of them all is when the little girl is killed on accident. That one scene made my heart drop, and I was like, “The monster just has to go no matter what.” That’s when the iconic burning windmill comes into play. What a great story and movie.
Praise must be given to the one and only Boris Karloff as the Monster. Karloff had a chilling presence as the Monster. One that will be iconic for all time. As the door slowly opened and the Monster walked in, Karloff stole the movie. When the close-up came on the Monster, his eyes were rolled back in his head, showing that he wasn’t all there. Pure genius. What Karloff does ideally is make you feel for the creature. He is terrorized by his captive but doesn’t know anything else but pain. When he plays with the little girl, he is innocent and playful, but yet as time goes on, he becomes more and more violent. Without any words, the movements and sounds Karloff establishes for the Monster, makes him even more significant to watch and admire for a performance.
Even though this movie isn’t like the actual book, it created the legend of Frankenstein that we know today. A mad scientist obsessed with creating life from the dead only to have his creation turn against him. Frankenstein made Karloff a star even with him working in Hollywood for years. Karloff will be forever linked to the creature and vice versa. A role that will have his name passed through the cinema years.
