92. The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

Directed By James Whale

Synopsis

Monster Lonely, need mate! Dead mate!

Review

Love dead, hate living! Film good, fire bad! Ok I can't write a whole review like this... There aren't many sequels that do justice or even surpass the original, I can only think of three, Empire Strikes Back, Godfather II and Bride of Frankenstein. This is a truly weird and wonderful film.

There seems to be a confusion in the 30's between weird and scary... the film isn't scary by our standards but it sure is weird even today. Dr. Pretorius, the campiest villain in film, is one of my favourite characters of all Universal films. When Pretorius shows off his homunculi in little flasks you really have to tip your hat to the special effects people, it is perfectly done.

At the end of the film you get the bride herself, who although only has something like 1 minute of screen time makes an impression which makes her a movie icon still today. Her mummified arms, weird hairdo and scars along with chicken like head movements and her shrieks and hisses just make her really, really strange while at the same time being quite beautiful. James Whale was a brilliant, brilliant man, and this is a great film... Get it at Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The film was originally to be titled The Return of Frankenstein.

The thinly disguised homosexual overtones may be a trademark of James Whale (particuarly the relationship between Frankenstein and Pretorius; as explained by film historian Scott MacQueen on the Bride of Frankenstein DVD commentary track) but also note the other potentially blasphemous imagery in the film, such as the monster's virtual crucifixion at the hands of the villagers.

Ernest Thesiger's sly remark, "Do you like gin? It is my only weakness!" is a nod to a similar quotation in The Old Dark House, also intoned by Thesiger.

Pretorius mentions that he grew his miniature people "from seed", a reference to the alchemical belief that it was possible to generate homunculi - tiny humanoid creatures - by placing a mixture of flesh and sperm in a dung hill.

Walter Brennan appears in a brief but very recognizable bit part.

Universal's makeup ace Jack Pierce paid special attention to the monster's appearance in this film. As well as altering his 1931 design to display the after-effects of the mill fire, he adorned Karloff with a singed hairstyle that actually grows during the course of the film. The unavoidable flaw, however, was that the newly prosperous Karloff's face had filled out since the first film and had lost its eerily cadaverous look.

Dwight Frye portrays Karl - despite having played hunchbacked dwarf Fritz, who was killed in the original film. The make-up was entirely different, however, since Karl wore short hair and bizarre eyebrows. This role continued a long series of appearances through Universal's Frankenstein saga in which he essayed different roles, culminating in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). Likewise, Marilyn Harris (also murdered in the original, in which she played little Maria) reappears here.

Colin Clive, who plays Doctor Frankenstein, broke his leg in a riding accident during filming, and hence remains seated in most of his scenes [1]

The basis of the film is rooted in the original novel. A subplot from the latter half of the book involves the monster promising to leave Frankenstein, and the human race, alone if Frankenstein will create him a mate. Frankenstein creates the female monster, but never brings it to life, deciding instead to destroy it.

Bride of Frankenstein is also the title of a single by New Zealand band Toy Love.

The song "Dust to Dust" by The Misfits from the Famous Monsters album is about the film.


The film has one of my favourite quotes from any film ever:

The Monster: I love dead... hate living.
Dr. Pretorius: You are wise in your generation.

One of the best sequences of special effects until now: