Frankenstein (1931)
Directed by James Whale

Film Review

It was the enormous success of Tod Browning's Dracula in 1931 which prompted Universal Pictures to make a second film in the fantasy/horror genre, and that film, Frankenstein, was to become the most influential film of its kind in the history of cinema. With its distinctive expressionist design and compelling narrative, this was one of the great achievements of early sound Hollywood, a trail-blazing film which, with its striking interpretation of Frankenstein's monster, gave the Twentieth Century one of its most familiar cultural icons.

The English man James Whale was an experienced theatre director with just a couple of films under his belt when Universal Pictures invited him to make this film, early on in his career in Hollywood.  He was not Universal's first choice - Robert Florey had originally been assigned to the project but was removed for some unknown reason during pre-production.  Whale picked up on some of Florey's ideas, such as borrowing the look and feel of the silent German horror films, which used expressionism very effectively to suggest menace and elements of the supernatural.  Frankenstein contains many references to these films, notably  Doctor Caligari's Cabinet (1920), Der Golem (1920) and Nosferatu (1922).

The screenplay was closely based on a 1920s stage play by Peggy Webling, which was itself inspired by Mary Shelley's celebrated Gothic novel, Frankenstein.  Since the novel's first publication in 1816, there had been numerous stage adaptations, including several farces.  Thomas Edison made the first film version of the story (albeit a short) in 1910.

Bela Lugosi, the actor who had played Dracula so successfully in the 1931 film, was originally intended to take the part of Frankenstein's monster.  Lugosi was initially interested but declined the role when he realised that he would have to be heavily made-up and would have no dialogue.  A chance encounter led Whale to cast a fellow English man, Boris Karloff, in the part which he seemed destined to play.  Although virtually unknown at the time, Karloff had already appeared in over 70 films, including Howard Hawks's Scarface (which, owing to censorship problems, was released after Frankenstein, in 1932).

Thanks to Jack Pierce's extraordinary make-up work, Karloff was transformed into the frightening creature we know and love today, with its distinctive cadaver look, squared head, bloodless lips, heavy eyelids and neck electrodes (not bolts). As the monster, Karloff may appear horrific, but his well-judged performance imbues the character with a genuine pathos and child-like innocence which makes it impossible for an audience not to sympathise with his plight.   Conscious of being typecast, Karloff appeared in just two of the subsequent Frankenstein sequels made by Universal Pictures - Bride of Frankenstein (1935), again directed by Whale, and Son of Frankenstein (1939).

Playing the part of Dr Frankenstein with an exuberant relish was Colin Clive.  Afflicted with health problems and chronic alcoholism, Clive was notoriously difficult to work with, but Whale established a good working relationship with him - which is reflected in the quality of his performance.  Frankenstein was one of the highpoints of Clive's career, which ended tragically with the actor's premature death in 1937.

Concerned over how the film might be received, its producer Carl Laemmle Jr added an opening pre-credits introduction at a late stage.  Here, Edward van Sloan (who appears in the film as Dr Waldman) gently warns the audience that the film they are about to see might horrify them.  To comply with the Hollywood production code, a number of minor cuts were made.  These include a section where Frankenstein said he knew what it was like to be God and the shot where the monster accidentally drowns a small girl - which were put back in when the film was restored for its video release in the 1980s.

The film is most memorable for the sequence in which Frankenstein brings his creature to life, the archetypal mad scientist in his secret laboratory being something that would be imitated in countless films and television programmes subsequently.  Whale's inspired direction and the high art quality of the photography and set design make this an unforgettable journey into the realm of terror.  The interplay of expressionistic sound and image suggest a foundry in Hell, reminiscent of a similar sequence in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927).  As we watch, in awe-struck anticipation, satanic forces are unleashed to a demonic audio-visual chorus of lightning bursts and crackling electrical apparatus, culminating in the awakening of the creature.  It is gloriously theatrical, but so wonderfully effective at conveying the sense of the Natural Law being violated, as if Frankenstein had conjured up the Devil to make a pact with him.

As in the early stage productions of Frankenstein, the monster and his creator reflect the dual character of mankind - although it is a more subtle duality than that of, say, Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  Whilst outwardly the monster appears to be a manifestation of evil, he is inwardly a thing of sublime innocence, whose true nature becomes apparent in the poignant scene of the girl by the lake.  It is the handsome Dr Frankenstein who represents the darker side of human nature - a man who, like Faust, is willing to sacrifices his soul to achieve greatness over other men through the acquisition of knowledge.

Frankenstein's reaction when his experiment succeeds is not one of humility or gratitude but one of supreme arrogance - he sees himself as being on a par with God and rejoices in his success in wrenching one of the great secrets of life from the clasp of his own creator.   Once Frankenstein has created life, his experiment almost ceases to interest him, evidenced by his indifference when he realises the monster has to be destroyed.  It is Frankenstein, not his creation, who is the monster in this multi-faceted morality tale - which can be read as a warning of the dangers of pursuing scientific endeavour without an awareness of its moral implications.

Like Dracula before it, Frankenstein was a hugely popular film, one of Universal's biggest successes.  Not surprisingly, it was followed by a long series of monster films, showcasing not just the ghoulish creations of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, but also the Mummy, the Wolf Man, and many others.  Sadly, these later films did not maintain the level of excellence set by Whale and Karloff.  Hammer Film Productions would be greatly influenced by these early horror films when it resurrected these monster icons in the 1950s and '60s.   Although the horror genre has been tainted by many inferior productions, and a certain amount of Grand Guignol self-mockery, James Whale's original 1931 Frankenstein film continues to inspire and impress.  It is a great cinematic achievement and a worthy successor to the German expressionist masterpieces of the 1920s.

Film Synopsis

For years, the scientist Dr Henry Frankenstein has devoted himself to the creation of artificial life.  With the help of his hunchback assistant Fritz, he has assembled a man-like creature from the body parts of corpses stolen from graveyards.  Whilst Frankenstein is busily absorbed in his experiments in his castle laboratory, his friend Victor and fiancée Elizabeth become increasingly concerned.  Along with his former teacher, Dr Waldmann, they pay a call on Frankenstein just as he is about to bring his research to a triumphant climax.  As a lightning storm rages outside, electricity surges into the lifeless body of the creature, and slowly it begins to stir.  Frankenstein is ecstatic - until he realises, all too soon, the destructive nature of the thing he has brought into the world...