Review of Young Frankenstein (1974) by Cameron H — 24 Jul 2017
Relentlessly silly, as Mel Brooks movies tend to go. Gene Wilder's role in the screenwriting is apparent though, compared to Brooks' solo works. Wilder keeps the satire in sharp focus, allowing the silliest of jokes to remain in line with the homage/parody of classic horror movies.
The results hit far more often than miss, but there are so many great jokes that the misses may actually be weaker hits. Flawless recreation of 1930s cinematography / score / lighting, used for both jarringly funny jokes and plot development (ex.
The mysterious violin we had assumed was just the score). Awesome use of editing to pack greater punches in the jokes. JOKE SPOILER: The best example of this is the sexual "tension" between Dr.
Frunkunshteen (Gene Wilder) and his assistant Inga (Teri Garr). For most of the film, it seems entirely one-sided, Inga reading everything that the Doctor says in a sexual way. Near the end of the movie, Inga continues to flirt, only for the Doctor to have a seemingly non-sexual revelation.
(Like, dude, how are you NOT seeing this?) Cut to next scene in an empty laboratory, when innocuous dialogue is traded while the camera slowly pans to the Doctor and Inga naked under the covers. So wonderful.
Gosh, the acting, too. Gene Wilder may have the most screen time, but this feels much more like an ensemble work. Peter Boyle as the Monster, Marty Feldman as Igor, Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth the eventual Bride of the Monster, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher (NNNNEEEEIIIIGGHGHHBBRBRRB), even a cameo from Gene Hackman, pretty famous at the time for his starring role in The French Connection, as a Transylvanian blind man looking for a friend to share soup, cigars, and espresso with.
It's easier to appreciate Young Frankenstein if you have seen films like, duh, Frankenstein, but the jokes in this parody are aplenty and so tangible that it well stands the test of time. Even the "Puttin' on the Ritz" routine, thanks to Peter Boyle's autistic enthusiasm for singing and dancing.
You laugh with him, not at him -- Key to a fantastic parody.
This review of Young Frankenstein (1974) was written by Cameron H on 24 Jul 2017.
Young Frankenstein has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
