31 Days of Horror Reviews 2018: Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein was Universal’s follow up to Dracula actually coming out the same year and manages to surpass it in some ways. It doesn’t have the eerie atmosphere that Dracula had, but it makes up for it in dramatic tension and it’s set pieces.

REVIEW

Instead of building up to the creation of the Creature, The movie begins with Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) digging up a recently buried corpse. I think the reason for this immediate start was because the Great Depression affected the country so the studio didn’t have enough funds for more film reels. This actually works in the film’s favor as it makes it very simple and lets us appreciate the design of the sets and lighting. At only an hour and fifteen minutes, it neither drags on nor overstay it’s welcome.

“IN THE NAME OF GOD! NOW I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS TO BE GOD!”

Colin Clive plays Dr. Henry (not Victor) Frankenstein, a man obsessed with bringing the dead back to life and he makes a convincing mad scientist. His reaction to the success of his experiment and his delivery of the iconic line, “IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!” Is so disturbing that it solidified the character as the archetypal mad scientist.

Look at that smile.

Boris Karloff plays the creature and for a character that never speaks, he’s easily one of the most sympathetic characters in the movie just through his body language. It’s no wonder he’s seen as the best Creature because he clearly owned the role to a point that no other actor can match (at least for now.) What sets the Creature apart from Dracula is the little semblance of humanity he has. The scene with the little girl is scary, sad and charming all at the same time. When you see the interaction the girl has with the Creature and you see him smile, you feel at ease and see that he is more than just a monster.

The windmill scene is an iconic scene even if it didn’t happen in the original book. It’s a scene that’s been referenced and parodied numerous times from Van Helsing to Frankenweenie. It sort of reminds me of another scene that’s been referenced in different films: The Clock Tower scene from The Castle of Cagliostro.   

Originally Bela Lugosi was offered the role of the Creature but turned it down due to the amount of make up he would have to wear, at least that’s one of the accounts of what happened before it went to Boris Karloff. Karloff would star in another Universal Horror Movie the next year and be given the chance to speak this time.