Frankenstein (1931): A Review (Review #2135)

FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

There have been many adaptations of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein since its publication. Film has given us quite a few. Some have stayed close to the source material. Others have been eccentric if not downright exaggerations. Only one, however, has been so impactful that we still think of it when we think of the mad scientist and his creation. The 1931 adaptation stands above all pretenders and challengers as the definitive version. It may not match the novel. However, it still is the standard by which all other Frankenstein adaptations are measured to. 

Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) has been graverobbing. It is not treasure that he is after. It is cadavers. He is bent on bringing life from death. Henry has cut himself from his family and friends. His only company is Fritz (Dwight Frye), his hunchback assistant who stole a brain for the bad doctor's monstrous creation. Fritz, however, did not notice that it was a criminal's brain.

In desperation, three people force their way into Henry's isolated castle/laboratory. There is his fiancée, Elizabeth (Mae Clarke). There is their mutual friend Victor Moritz (John Boles). The last person is Henry's former mentor, Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). The latter in particular has been long alarmed at Henry's mad plans. Henry, however, is enraged that anyone would think him mad. He almost mockingly has them witness his experiment, which proves shockingly successful. "IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE!" Henry declares.

And his Creature (Boris Karloff) is very much alive. He is hideous in form but innocent in manner. However, the Creature is met with hostility and cruelty by those around him. Fritz in particular taunts the frightened Creature with fire. However, things take a turn when Fritz goes one step too far. Henry and Waldman are convinced that the Monster must be destroyed. The Monster, however, will not go quietly.

Henry has a breakdown. Fortunately, this is good as it allows him to finally marry Elizabeth. The Monster, having escaped, causes unintended deaths just as the German town is set to celebrate the nuptials. Will the tragic death of a child be avenged? Will Elizabeth live to see her wedding day? Will the monster and his maker be destroyed?

Frankenstein, despite the pre-title warning, is not frightening. I do not think it would be considered so nowadays. What it is, instead, is deeply atmospheric. A lot of things are suggested but have just enough to shock us. Take for example, Fritz's demise. We hear Fritz's scream and then come upon his hanging shadow. It is enough to shock us. Director James Whale also does wonderful work when the Creature crashes Elizabeth's boudoir. 

He puts the audience ahead of Elizabeth by having us see the Monster. As he comes closer, she keeps slipping away from him. This builds up the tension and suspense until she finally sees him. The cutting between her screams and his grunts punctuate this tense scene.

Whale also counterbalances the child's death with the jolliness of the wedding celebration. This leaves the viewer both shocked and saddened. The actual death of Little Maria (Marilyn Harris) was initially so shocking that it was cut in rereleases. Seeing it now restored, I can see how it must have startled viewers then. It is still a pretty distressing and disturbing sight. However, we now see that the Creature meant no harm and was as equally horrified by the unintended results.

Boris Karloff gives what I think will remain the definite interpretation of Frankenstein's Monster. His first appearance, highlighted by a series of cuts as we move in closer, is startling. Karloff makes the Creature a sympathetic character. He is an innocent, unaware of things. A brief moment when he sees sunlight and stretches his arms is surprisingly moving. 

That is not to say that Boris Karloff cannot be menacing. Given the film, I think we would have reacted as he did. Waldman did try to kill the Creature. He would be within his rights to preserve himself. As he rampages in a mix of revenge and desperate survival, one is both shocked and allied with the Creature. At the end when the Creature is dangling Henry, the villagers scream "There he is! The murderer!". Perhaps unintended, but I think that declaration applies more to Henry than to his Creature.

Frankenstein is almost universally well-acted. Colin Clive brings an unhinged intensity to Henry Frankenstein. His mad declarations of "IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE!" may have eventually come down to us as things to spoof or parody. However, it is indicative of the cultural impact of Frankenstein that people who have never seen the film know the reference. Dwight Frye seemed to specialize in oddball lunatics. Here, his Fritz (not the more popular "Igor") is crazed and rather frightening. Edward Van Sloan has great gravitas as Dr. Waldman, who is powerless to stop his former protégé. 

One thing that I do not think has been commented on as much is the surprising amount of humor in Frankenstein. This is through Henry's father, Baron Frankenstein (Fredrick Kerr). Playing more like a stuffy, befuddled Englishman than a German noble, Kerr has some of the best lines in the film. Attempting to curry favor with the Baron, a local official calls Henry "the very image of his father". "Heaven forbid", is the Baron's curt aside. 

The film is surprisingly short, running at a brisk 70 minutes. As such, a lot of material is left off from both the novel and various stage adaptations that Frankenstein drew from. I found that the film did not feel rushed or short in any way. 

Frankenstein will not frighten. What it will do, however, is leave a lasting impression. With a career-making performance from Boris Karloff, Frankenstein dominates the screen. 

DECISION: A+