Frankenstein (1931)

It's about time I got around to watching this film. The classic black and white horror starring Boris Karloff. It seems almost as famous to me as Gone with The Wind (another I have not seen but will attempt to at some point) or Casablanca (seen that one!). I went into this having watched a few very modern films recently so I was looking forward to a change of pace. Yet I feel conflicted. As I was watching I couldn't decide whether to review this as if it was made yesterday or to take into account the fact that it is 80 years old. Then I thought sod it. This is my blog; I can do both if I want.

Just a quick preface first though: You all know the story of a man's rebellion against God, where science challenges the supreme by creating life where there should be none. In this interpretation of Shelley's novel Dr Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) is the mad scientist. His obsession leads to the birth of Frankenstein's Monster (Boris Karloff). The creator is horrified by his creation and things go a bit pear shaped etc...

Review 1. Aww it’s so old!
The curtain rises on a stormy, oppressive scene where Henry and his creepy hunchbacked assistant rob a freshly laid grave. Crooked gravestones, squawking crows and distraught mourners fill the viewer with a sense of unease. The lack of a proper musical score is offset by the mood created by the sounds of the elements as the wind howls, lightning cracks and people shriek. The director does a fine job of capturing the gothic theme of the original story. The lab where the monster is born is particularly good and has clearly been copied a thousand times since. Karloff is eerie as the monster (and brilliantly he is not named in the credits, appearing only as...?)

Some scenes would clearly have been disturbing to an audience not accustomed to the shock tactics that lots of modern films seem to revel in. A particularly haunting scene that shows the monster as both a thing to be pitied and feared begins with him finding a young girl playing alone by the side of a lake (it was actually left out of the original release because it was thought too shocking). The moral ambiguity that Karloff brings to the role really hits home here and as the film sweeps to its inevitable conclusion you do feel sympathy. A very atmospheric retelling of the famous story.

Review 2. I don't care if it’s old. It shouldn't have pissed the bed.
Before the film begins an actor steps out from behind a curtain to warn the audience that what they are about to see could shock and horrify them. He invites us to leave now if we are of a faint disposition. By the end of the film I thought what a big fat liar that bloke turned out to be. Billed as a horror film, this will fail miserably to affect the modern viewer. It makes me wonder if people in the 1930's would walk down the street only to fill their pants when they cross their own shadow. Could they be found shaking like Courtney Love without her 'medication' every time the sun went down? At one point the monster is laid on an autopsy table, heavily sedated, as some scientist type is about to cut into him. The monsters hand starts to creep up in readiness to strangle the unsuspecting man. The whole thing is ruined by the monsters eyes opening every time the scientist turns his back. Any sense of surprise or tension is wrecked by the obviousness of the scene.

Also there is some seriously dodgy acting throughout (age is no excuse for bad acting I'm afraid). But perhaps most annoying is the fact that the characters are all referred to as Herr or Frauline but sound like they are all characters from the Wizard of Oz (to be fair this is still something that appears in films, Sean Connery as a Russian submarine captain in Hunt for red October is just funny!). There are too many things that ruin the atmosphere and the story for this to be a true classic in my opinion.

Conclusion: Perhaps shocking in its day but sadly dated and riddled with too many imperfections. This is a decent film but could have been so much better if the overall production value was improved. It feels like so much time was spent creating the gothic atmosphere that they forgot to get much decent acting done.

5/10