Review of The Wolf Man (1941) by Simon H — 06 Jun 2014

When you view the Wolf Man, you are given a different viewing experience. You must remember that this movie was released over 70 years ago so will be very different to what is expected in a movie now. That being the case, I was pleasantly surprised how enjoyable this was in a world of blockbusters.

With a running time of 67 minutes, the screenplay is kept tight and jumps straight into the story. You may think any form of character development is wasted away but you are given enough to build a picture of the situation each character is in. Whilst I could only see Evelyn Ankers as your typical 'damsel in distress', I really felt Lon Chaney Jr. was perfect in the lead role. Although I felt his actions slightly creepy at the start, you really did begin to feel the torture the guy was going through.

For a film made at the start of the 40's, I was extremely impressed with how the look of the Wolf Man was pulled off. The transition was good for the time and wasn't off putting at all.

The only negatives I can bring up for the film was the small amount of screen time for Bela Lugosi and how the first werewolf seen on screen resembled a dog more than the werewolf that the lead ended up becoming. I also felt the ending ended up becoming predictable after a certain point in the plot but that didn't stop the enjoyment.

For a film of this time, I found it fun for what it provided.