my thoughts on.... 'Frankenstein' (1931)

sometimes as a horror movie fanatic, you have to go back to re-visit your roots and remind yourself where it all began.... granted, i've seen most of these classic films before but that doesn't make them still as fresh as they were when they came out.... and if you're going to go back in time, you must start with the Universal Studios classic monster films.... (ie: Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Phantom of the Opera, The Wolfman, etc....).... i figured i'd start with Frankenstein, the largest of the monsters, literally.... or at least larger than life.... this is a film that is revered by horror directors everywhere and was a spark of life to their imaginations.... Frankenstein is an iconic creation brought to life by Boris Karloff and brought to the screen by director James Whale.... it's not the last horror film Boris Karloff made.... the man is a legend in his own right.... a name that is synonymous with horror.... but in this film he is merely credited as '?', i suppose it was a way to increase the terror.... not knowing who was behind the make-up.... as far as the story goes, i've never read the original book so i don't know how close to the source material this is.... but it's a fairly simple story that James Whale brought to the screen.... one that can be seen by just about anyone and easily understood....

Dr. Frankenstein is determined to create life out of nothing.... everyone doubts him and he's a bit mad, but he follows his passion regardless.... he patchworks a man out of spare parts and an abnormal brain.... he then proceeds to bring the creature to life and the creature soon wreaks havoc on the town.... and ultimately is chased by an angry mob with torches.... where he faces them in a final showdown....
this film set the standard for many films to follow.... it's use of German expressionist background sets.... the state of the art make-up effects.... the great backdrops that create the feeling of something larger than just a soundstage.... the over the top dramatic acting.... and of course, the monster.... what's not to like about this film....? it is a bit dated and some of the effects are laughable by todays standards, but when i think of some of the horrific CGI i see in movies today i would prefer what they made work back in the 30's.... this film is expertly shot.... almost every frame of the film looks like a photograph that you could hang on the wall.... the story is universal.... and you can't help but feel a bit sad for the monster.... he's just a mere victim of circumstance.... he was given when life should not have been given.... and he is merely acting on his most animal instincts.... he doesn't seem to know any other way to act then by doing what a trapped animal would do.... i should also point out the scene with the little girl by the lake.... it is frightening still today.... what starts out as a harmless back and forth between the monster and the little girl, soon goes horribly wrong and results in tragedy.... once again proving that the monster is merely acting on instinct or rather re-acting....

regardless of all of the praise this film has acheieved, i still couldn't see to give it more than 3 out of 5 stars.... not that it is a bad film, on the contrary, this film is a piece of history.... and i am glad that it's stood the test of time and can live on as a reminder of where we came from.... what brought us to where we are today.... it also proves that sometimes simple is still better.... it should be noted that this film was followed by the 'Bride of Frankenstein', which has been called a better film than the original.... i have it in my queue as well and look forward to comparing the two.... it also spawned multiple sequels and re-makes.... some better than others, but all a part of the Frankenstein legacy.... one that spans decades and genres.... sitcoms and cartoons.... TV shows and plays.... it should also be known that in the birth of cinema, 'Frankenstein' was one of the first monsters portrayed on the big screen.... in 1910, J. Searle Dawley made a film just shy of 15 minutes that scared the hell out of audiences back in the day.... once again proving the lasting power of monsters and the cinema of horror....

to watch the 1910 version: http://www.archive.org/details/Frankenstein_628

if you would like to watch some other horror classics, watch: 'Dracula' (1931), 'The Wolf Man' (1941), and 'The Mummy' (1932)