Frankenstein Film 1931 by James Whale

Frankenstein-Movie

Reading about cloning is very disturbing. Scientists should not try to play God. Messing with the natural cause of life can have unforeseen consequences. They should remember the classic novel by Mary Shelley "Frankenstein." Its premise also explores the theme of creating a living thing. Though Frankenstein is not about cloning, its theme is similar to the events related to cloning.

This movie is not attempting to be a horror movie. Though there were horror movies in that era, this one followed a more human path. However it sets the path for science fiction movies of this genre. Frankenstein's creation is an intriguing character. He is only a freak of nature who has no understanding of his surroundings and what he is doing there. The movie directed by James Whale is one of the best versions of Mary Shelley's Goth tale.

Dr Henry Frankenstein played by Colin Clive is one of the protagonists in the movie. He is a bankrupt scientist without any morals who defies all laws of humanity by attempting to play God. Frankenstein is a very zany and self-centered person. He has a lot of contempt for other people and has a very erratic temperament. The doctor has been thrown out of medical school for attempting to resurrect dead bodies. His fiancee Elizabeth (Mae Clarke) is his only pillar of support. She is worried about his emotional instability. Frankenstein steals bodies from graves to create his work of art. With the help of his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) he brings it to life. Frankenstein realizes he has made a big mistake when his creation does not seem to respond to his directions. It kills his assistant Fritz. He plans to kill the monster with the help of his former mentor Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan) but it escapes from his custody. Frankenstein's creation roams around the countryside causing destruction. He gets a very painful death in the end. (Crazy for cinema, 2002)

This movie was filmed on a very low budget in 1931. Despite its low budget, the movie boasts of first-rate production values for that era. The acting, set design, music and story are very good. It grabs the viewer's attention with its strong visuals. The producer of the movie warns the audience about the graphic content before the movie starts. The movie opens with a graveyard as the backdrop. A funeral is taking place with plenty of grief stricken mourners. Little do they know that the doctor and his assistant are watching from afar? They plan to steal the body from its grave. The statue of the grim reaper in front of the gravesite gives the area a very uneasy feeling. Henry's lack of respect for the dead is shown when he accidentally throws a shovelful of dirt at the statue of the grim reaper. At this point the camera is panned at the grim reaper, which is a witness to this unholy ceremony. This scene is perhaps trying to show us that the grim reaper does not approve of this and will be taking some punitive action. It doesn't approve of anyone messing with is line of work.

The director, James Whale does not stop to startle or scare the audience. He utilizes sound effects in a very efficient manner. Though the sound effects of that era are no match for the new age, they were the trendsetters of their own time. There are no dull moments in the movie as it is packed with various sound and visual effects. Every time there is a thud or a bang the audience is left shaken. This worked very well on audiences of that time as this was a new concept for them and managed to scare them out of their wits. James Whale plans the visual effects of the movie with great detail. The scene where the monster is being brought to life is very effective. There is a storm raging in the background. The body of the monster is placed on to a platform, which has been raised to the skylight of the tower so that it can be brought to life by a bolt of lightning. The most memorable part is when the mad doctor checks the monster for signs of life. At first it seems like as if the experiment has failed, but then the camera focuses on the monster's right hand which is twitching. Frankenstein starts screaming in a very dramatic manner "Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive....It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive! Oh - in the name of God. Now I know what it feels like to be God." (Filmsite, Tim Dirks, 1996) This is one of the most memorable and spectacular scenes in the movie. It has been popular with movie fans throughout the years and has been spoofed and lampooned in dozens of movies.

Whale does not let the audience see the monster and builds up a lot of suspense. The unveiling of the monster is very dramatic. Seeing the monster for the first time is a very memorable scene. The monster is a very complex character. He is gentle and fearsome at the same time. One doesn't know whether to feel sorry for him or to hate him. He is just an unfortunate freak of nature and can't seem to understand the purpose of his life. There is an attempt by him to try and find a place for himself in this world. He doesn't wish to harm anyone but distrustful people are after his blood. The people are responsible for turning the monster against them as he had not wanted to harm them. There is a sympathy factor attached to his character as he does not want to harm people but is forced to take that path to defend himself. He is left all alone in the world after being spurned by his master. He has to discover the cruel fate of the world on his own. This is a lot like the true human nature of people. No one likes to accept a person with any abnormality. A person should not be condemned for his/her shortcomings. People usually go for appearances and don't care for the inner feelings of others. One should think with their hearts and not with their brains for once. Frankenstein's creation is also like one of the outcasts of society who is condemned for something which is not his fault.