Review of Bride of Frankenstein (1935) by Jacob W — 27 Nov 2007

After absolutely loving the first film, I expected quite a bit from this "universally superior"sequel. I was a bit disappointed. There are many great things about this film (I really admire the ways the Monster becomes more human), but the fact is that until about twenty or thirty minutes in this is really just a collection of vignettes with no compelling driving action.

The vignettes are quite good, but are largely inconsequential. I think the reason this is considered a better film is because (1) it's a better made film (Whale apparently learned quite a bit between the two) and (2) it's a more conventional film.

With the sylistic flourishes, the highly developed sense of irony, and the moral amiguity, we could even consider this an early postmodern film. While still very enjoyable in its own right, and much stronger in terms of production and style, I think the mood and tone of the first film win out over this one.