Frankenstein (1931) Review

 

        Back in the 1930s, Universal contributed to the growth and popularity of the horror genre. With the success of Dracula, producer Carl Laemmle Jr. decided to do another adaptation. This time by focusing on the novel by Mary Shelley. Considered by many to be the best out of all the Universal Monsters, Frankenstein made an immediate impact in pop culture.

1. The Monster

        The way the movie starts is interesting. It has actor Edward Van Sloan give caution to the audience before the movie starting. I want to say that it’s the first time that an actor or someone from a production would introduce the film. As far as I know that this method has been used again for The Ten Commandments when Cecil B. DeMille introduced the film before it started. So yeah, for the time I think it works since no one could’ve imagined what they’ll be seeing. 

        For the most part, the film is loosely based on the actual novel itself. In fact, the movie is based on the theater play. Much like its counterpart Dracula. It does contain various plot points of the book, but it mostly diverges and instead focuses on the scientist himself. Henry decides to reanimate a dead corpse with his assistant Fritz. This is the thing that people easily think that the crazy assistant is called Igor. I’ll talk about that aspect later. 

        Anyways, as the doctor creates his abomination, his former professor tells him that the brain he used was that of a criminal. And you can probably imagine what happens from there. What I like is that we get a lot of focus on Henry. We understand what drives him to create. It’s his pride and overall sense of curiosity of doing something that hasn’t been attempted. Specifically, we learn from him that he wants to ‘renew’ life and discover the mysteries of life and death. It would’ve been easy to just make him a wacky scientist with no real cause or want. 

        I think the overall theme of the movie is the idea of the monster. When we see Frankenstein, he’s just a lumbering being who doesn’t know from right or wrong. You can probably say that he’s literally a newborn with stitched up parts. The film exposes who really is the actual monster. We see Henry’s assistant whip the creature into submission, as the monster grunts and yells. It’s not so much that the monster is a brute, but ultimately the one who wants to control it. 

        Of course, I can’t continue to talk about the film without talking about the creature itself. This film put Boris Karloff on the map. In fact, it was a rumor that Bela Lugosi was going to play the character but backed out considering that the creature didn’t have lines. Although, it was the filmmakers that wanted Karloff and not Lugosi. The way the character looks has been the defining look for generations. You don’t have to watch the movie to know that the monster has a flat head with bolts sticking out his neck.

2. My Favorite Scene

        This one scene in particular has been for awhile cut, depending on if you lived in some states in the US. The scene in question is the one involving Frankenstein and the little girl Maria. As Frankenstein escapes from his confinement, he wanders and happens across the young girl. She’s showing him how to make a flower float. The creature unintentionally murders the girl as a way to mimic what he learned. 

        The scene is the best moment in the film since it adds depth to the creature. For one thing, it showed a little bit of humanity when the creature was playing with the little girl. It almost gives us just a glimpse that maybe the monster can learn to be good, considering that his brain is that of a criminal. Unfortunately, that’s not the case at all. In one way, it’s actions leads to the destruction of Henry’s lab and his seemingly destruction.

3. Legacy

        This one movie helped expand Universal’s Monster Universe. It made bank in the box office, which prompted the producer to make more films out of other established works and mythology. The creature has spawned a series within the overarching franchise with four sequels and a comedy. Also, it created a cliché with the mad assistant. The sequels had a character named Igor, but he was just a blacksmith. In fact, the hunchback assistant did pop up in the sequels, but was called Daniel. 

        Also, it’s one of the first characters to do a crossover. Before Marvel Studios or whatever Warner Bros. has been attempting to do, Universal had their stars duke it out before. It was dubbed a ‘monster rallies’ since it involved some of the monsters to fight. Aside from that, this character has been adapted in other movies and his look has popped up in various Halloween decorations. 

4. Overall

        Frankenstein did what so few movies try, be a hit and have a lasting impact nearly a century later