Frankenstein (1931) - A 21st Century Review

Frankenstein, released in 1931, is an adaptation of an adaptation of the 1818 novel, loosely based on both the book and the 1927 play it spawned written by playwright Peggy Webling.

Directed by James Whale, the film follows the tale of Henry Frankenstein--not Victor Frankenstein, as he is named in the novel--through his journey of leaving medical school and pursuing his own scientific passions of creating life from previously deceased matter. Henry Frankenstein is played by Colin Clive.

Concerns from his family, most notably from his father (Frederick Kerr), his friend, Victor Moritz (John Boles), and his betrothed, Elizabeth (Mae Clarke), fall on deaf ears as Henry deserts them for months on end and does not reach out to them until they visit his laboratory to discover what he is working on. To their astonishment they find a patchwork body lying on a metal examining table, waiting to be brought to life with a bolt of lightning.

When Henry finally exposes the creation to lightning and notices movement in its arms, he frantically exclaims "It's alive!" and "In the name of God, now I know what it feels like to be God!" The creation, now dubbed "The Monster," is portrayed by Boris Karloff, a relatively unknown actor of the time with bit parts in silent films.

The Monster is, at first, a docile being, but exposure to the worst in humanity—in addition to the criminal brain and childlike intelligence he possesses—quickly changes his demeanor. After being tortured by Henry's lab assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye), he becomes enraged and kills him, leaving his body hanging by the whip he used to antagonize the Monster.

In an act of regret, Henry returns home, imprisoning his creation in the laboratory so it could never see the light of day. Furious, the Monster breaks free and explores the new world around him, with unfortunate consequences soon following. After befriending a little girl named Maria, who shows him how to throw flowers in the lake and watch them float, he throws her in the water as well, believing she, too, would float. Unable to swim, Maria drowns; confused as to why she did not float, the Monster flees in panic, grunting and wailing like a child.

After Maria's father carries her body through the nearby village, townspeople rally to find her murderer. Henry Frankenstein, the only one who knows the real perpetrator, later joins the hunt. The climax of the movie is an epic confrontation between creator and creation, with Henry and the Monster taking the fight to the top of a windmill, which the villagers, meanwhile, set ablaze.

The Monster throws Henry from the top of the windmill before succumbing to the flames and the rubble. Injured, but not dead, Henry is at home recovering in bed with Elizabeth by his side. The film concludes with Henry's father toasting to the wedding that his son can finally have, now that he is free from distractions.

The movie was such a huge success that it spawned five sequels and established Universal Studios as a powerhouse in the film industry. It also propelled the career of Boris Karloff, who would later return for three of Universal's five Frankenstein sequels, in addition to starring in other films for the studio. At one time he was also the host of his own show, Thriller, which ran for two seasons from 1960-1962.

Fans of Dr. Seuss books, cartoons, and movies may also remember Boris Karloff as the voice of the Grinch in the 1966 animated-TV adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. From Frankenstein onward, he became a prominent figure in the entertainment industry until his death in 1969 at the age of 81.

The film pushed the boundaries for what can be shown on screen; as one of the first mainstream horror flicks in an age of cinematic experimentation, director James Whale took many liberties in making Frankenstein terrifying for the times, even going so far as to open the film with a warning to the audience before beginning the movie with a freshly hanged body, grave robberies, and human brains on display, all of which had hitherto been worth censoring in motion pictures.

Its special effects are monumental in terms of how they impacted the entertainment industry for the decades to follow. Legendary movie makeup artist Jack Pierce’s work on the monster’s visual grotesqueness cemented the Frankenstein mythology as one the most influential players in popular culture. Future directors would look to his work for their own movies in an attempt to replicate its appeal, or improve upon it, though the latter seems impossible.

The most notable impact of Pierce’s artistry is how people think of what Frankenstein is, as both a story and a character, since this movie spawned the archetype of the Monster as having a square head, bolts in his neck, clunky boots, black clothes, and lightning as an energy source. Later sequels added to this modern image, with the Monster eventually walking with his arms straight out in front of him, speaking in slow, primitive sentences.

And the Universal Studios backlot provided enough opportunity for the film crew to create an entire fantastic world to capture the audience’s fascination. From laboratories to villages, villages to mansions, mansions to hillsides, and hillsides to windmills, the film served as the basis for other film studios to recreate the visual magic that made this 1931 picture so horrifying, yet so beautiful.

Frankenstein is a horror film worth watching for both fans and non-fans of the genre. One cannot simply help but appreciate what this picture gave to the world, stunning the eyes and enriching the minds of its viewers with its gothic beauty and groundbreaking special effects. Its historical impact continues to reverberate throughout the entertainment industry.