Review of Bride of Frankenstein (1935) by Craig J — 05 Jul 2007

Sequels are nothing new to the world of film. Whilst many sequels are usually shit compared to the original creations there are a few films that surpass their predecessor; The Godfather Part 2, Mad Max 2, Evil Dead II and Wayne?s World 2 all come to mind. Even back in the thirties sequels were being made to cash in on the success of the various film that made a pot of money. Bride of Frankenstein is one such film and is also a sequel that is better than its original.

Bride of Frankenstein continues where Frankenstein left off. Henry Frankenstein survived his fall from the windmill and is taken home to be cared for. During the night, he is visited by the eccentric Dr. Pretorius who wants to work with Frankenstein by creating the monster a mate.

Meanwhile, the monster survived his ordeal in the burning windmill and escapes in to the countryside where he makes friends with a blind man. The blind man not realising his guest is a hideous monster, teaches him how to speak and appreciate the good things in life; friendship, wine, food and smoking.

All goes wrong when the blind man?s house burns down. The monster escapes into the crypt of a graveyard where lo and behold he encounters Dr. Pretorius who has selected his female corpse to bring back to life. Frankenstein, affected by his previous ordeal, decides he doesn?t want to help make another monster but changes his mind when his original creation kidnaps his wife, Elizabeth under the orders of Dr. Pretorius. Henry Frankenstein has no choice and helps create the Bride of Frankenstein.

Bride of Frankenstein is an interesting sequel. Rather than having new characters like many sequels do, this film has all the old characters that survived in the first film (although some are played by different actors). To bring the audience up to speed Bride of Frankenstein begins with a very inventive way to show flashbacks of the previous films and then continues with Mary Shelly, the author of Frankenstein telling the continuation of her story to two male friends on a stormy night.

Everything that was brilliant about Frankenstein is bettered with this sequel. The screenplay is stronger, the sets are grander, the acting superior and the look and feel of the film is much more atmospheric. Director, James Whale, didn?t want to make a sequel to his classic horror film but when he had the opportunity to create something bigger than he could have imagined, he jumped at the chance.

Whilst giving Bride of Frankenstein that same brooding presence as the original, Whale decided to inject a lot of humour into the proceedings. The humour isn?t blatant and fits in well with the horror on show. It?s subtle things that make you laugh, like Dr. Pretorius? creations of tiny people in jars. They are comical in the way they act but at the same time it is horrific that someone managed to create such an unimaginable thing. A lot of the humour comes from actress, Una O?Connor, who plays a servant in the Frankenstein house (Whale had used her to comical effect in his earlier film, The Invisible Man). Her dialogue, even though it?s old fashioned, is still quite funny and she gets most of the laughs; one of her lines even mocks the ?It?s Alive? dialogue from Frankenstein.

The relatively short running time of seventy two minutes goes quite fast as the film lacks unnecessary scenes of chatty dialogue. The final fifteen minutes is one of cinema?s greatest achievements. If you don?t find yourself engrossed and captivated by the final fifteen minutes then there is something wrong with you. The photography is stunning, as the lights from the scientific equipment in the makeshift laboratory of the watchtower flash on and off during the storm that is raging outside. Whale directs this part of the film with such confidence that it?s a shame he didn?t make anymore horror films after this. The angles he uses create a feeling that something truly spectacular is going to happen and it sure does when The Bride is finally revealed. What makes Bride of Frankenstein that extra special is the not so happy ending. Not everyone gets to live happily ever after.

Boris Karloff gets top billing this time and gives the monster a more terrifying spin this time round whilst still managing to make the character sympathetic. In Bride of Frankenstein, the monster learns to speak and it is well known that Karloff regrets that the monster was able to do so. However, it never comes across as sounding stupid or too joke-like. In fact it fits well with the story and how he learns to speak is well handled, as we learn that the monster needs companionship, which he finds with the blind man, who obviously doesn?t judge him by his looks.

Colin Clive reprises his role of Frankenstein and gives what looks like a tortured performance. Apparently he disliked being in horror films so I guess that explains it. Dr. Peteroious is a camp character but is quite amusing to watch. He has an evil streak in him, which director, Whale allows to creep into the film subtly and the way he uses other people to his advantage is what gives his character a sinister edge. Dwight Frye who played Fritz in the original Frankenstein returns to play a murderous assistant this time round called Karl and is still as creepy as before.

Bride of Frankenstein is another classic of the genre. No doubt about it. Everything is more accomplished than its predecessor and other films from that era. For the time Bride of Frankenstein was made, it makes you wonder how they ever managed to film such sequences without it looking cheap. It?s this sort of filmmaking that makes you feel good. If you?re looking for chills, laughs and entertainment then you have come to the right place. Younger audiences may find the film slow and boring, so probably won?t bother with Bride of Frankenstein. All I can say is that?s their loss. For everyone else with decent taste in film and fans of the original Frankenstein, you?ll find some enjoyment from the gruesome festivities on display.