Directed by:
James WhaleComposer:
Bernhard KaunCast:
Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff, Edward Van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Dwight Frye, Cecilia Parker, Arletta Duncan, Pauline Moore, Jack Curtis (more)VOD (3)
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An unforgettable masterpiece, the original Frankenstein stars Boris Karloff as the screen’s most tragic and iconic monster in what many consider to be the greatest horror film ever made. Tampering with life and death, Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) pieces together salvaged body parts to bring a human monster to life. The mad scientist’s dreams are shattered by his creation’s violent rage as the monster awakens to a world in which he is unwelcome. Featuring groundbreaking makeup by Jack Pierce, director James Whale’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece novel blends themes of horror, isolation and compassion, and remains one of the most shocking movies of all time. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (6)
An inconsistent classic. Boris Karloff is great and the individual scenes are brilliantly shot, but they are somehow mechanically, uninterestingly patched together into a single bland whole whose cardinal handicap is the absence of music. Besides the emotional charge of the film, music would have definitely increased the compactness of its ungainly editing. The sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, is a major step forward in every respect.
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For me, despite its qualities, Frankenstein is rather disappointing. Even though at first glance everything is as it should be. After all these years it isn’t even ridiculous for a moment, all roles are acted outstandingly, it’s well filmed, has a pleasant Universal Studios look about it and it isn’t even tedious. From the point of view of today’s spoiled viewer I could object a little to the absence of music, but that wouldn’t be altogether fair. The core of the problem is that it’s badly written (I won’t say “adapted", since it has almost nothing to do with the book). And nothing happens the whole way through. Nothing at all. Which indicates that there a few “big" scenes missing. Of course, with the exception in the form of the notorious and also perfect scene of “Frankie meets little girl". But this scene is so perfect that it does the movie a disservice in that it emphasizes just how much potential remains wasted elsewhere. Which changes nothing about the fact that it is a perfectly made picture that is rightly considered to be a gem of world cinema.
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I don't know what it is, but I remember Frankenstein being much more impressive... The opening half hour in particular is almost boring in places. But with Boris Karloff, my need to yawn disappears, the scene with the little girl makes me shudder, and the finale with the mill is perfect. And did you know that it was only today that I realized that there is no music in the film?__P.S. Again, I know the comparison is unfair, but the version made by Kenneth Branagh is unbeatable.
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This legendary horror classic brings to life one of the most famous monsters of all time, one that can proudly rival Dracula and the Wolfman. While you have to take into account the year the film was made, there are still a few memorable scenes that stick in your mind, like the one with Maria and the monster and especially the final scene at the mill. While it may not look as scary today as it did back then in the 1930s, it's still a quality film, and one that has an optimal running time to boot.
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A time-honoured classic that doesn’t have much to offer today. If you don't know about it, I’d recommend Brannagh's 1994 remake, which has a better cast, is more psychologically precise and more emotionally varied as a result. This is rather another mandatory entry in the textbook, one that everyone skips without being noticed and without punishment. 60%
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