Ah, classic cinema. In preparation for Halloween I have several horror movies still awaiting viewing, including 3 classics that I admit I have never seen. Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man.
First up, Frankenstein. Ah such an interesting movie. Far more interesting than I ever suspected to be honest. I can see why it has stood the test of time. There are essentially only 3 interesting characters in the film. The monster, The Doctor, and Fritz (who I imagine the majority of the public out there presume was always called Igor).
There are other characters but Colin Clive's turn as the Doctor, and Boris Karloff's as the Monster made this movie the gem in cinematic history it has proven to be. Everyone knows the tale, a brilliant but eccentric scientist plays god and creates a monster. Fritz is the hunchback and all-around bastard to the monster. Things go awry, monster escapes and well... go watch it if you don't know how it ends.
The parts that really stood out were when once the Monster escapes, he meets the young girl by the lake. Wow. Just wow. We have all seen the iconic scene or at least know the references when witnessed in other movies, shows, and what not, but seeing the original film version, powerful stuff. It was tragic and the viewer is absolutely forced to empathize with the monster. We question whether it is his latent predisposition to murder given that he is comprised of the parts of murderers, or is it merely the childlike innocence he seems to exhibit as an entirely new creature only a few days old?
I must also give props to this film for it's cinematic style and design. Obviously inspired by earlier works like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the design of Frankenstein's lab is all distorted angles, deep lines, and impossible architecture.
The good: Karloff, Clive, and the design stand out the most. Fritz is arguably the catalyst that could have prevented the Monster from being a monster. The girl at the lake. And the final scene while quick, is cinematic gold. Also the scene with the father going down the streets through the German festival, again... just wow.
The bad: the rest of the cast is mostly forgettable. I don't believe any real relationship existed between Elizabeth and the Doctor. And the film feels like it tells it's story very quickly. Which is fine, but I felt I wished we spent more time with the Monster and his foray into the world, for good or for bad.
Final Verdict: Obviously in this day and age, not everyone will have the patience for a classic film that is from an entirely different era of mannerisms, horror, and life. Many people will be turned off by the mere fact it is in black and white. Which is a shame and makes it that much more important for film lover's to try their best to keep these classics from fading away into obscurity. Kids may know the references in modern film and culture, but without knowing the roots of film, how can you truly appreciate it?
Add to the vault: Not a repeat viewing in the same vein as Dawn of the Dead remake (which I can watch most anytime), but if I ever saw them on sale I would definitely buy them and keep them in my repertoire much akin to a treasured book in the library you only dust off and re-read every decade or so.
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