“It’s alive! It’s alive!”
Thanks to the glorious electrical effects of Kenneth Strickfaden, most viewers know the key sequence in Frankenstein in which the mad Henry Frankenstein (a tremendous performance from Colin Clive) brings his stitched-together creation of random human parts to life.
The electrified scene is panic-inducing, filled with a great use of shadows, blistering sound from the electrical units, and some sharp lighting effects mimicking the storm which rages outside the castle. From the use of the Tesla Coil (it’s real!!) in the laboratory to the initial twitches of the creature (Boris Karloff) as he is brought back to life on a dark and stormy night in the Bavarian Alps, everything about the scene creates suspense, mystery and a slight tinge of pathos as we see the face of a human-made monster for the very first time.
And just like that, a fan favorite is immortalized as a towering figure in all black is suddenly lit and his protruding face, scarred with bolts at the neck, grimaces. It’s as if the monster itself is unsure of its own existence. It shouldn’t be a thing at all and its acceptance in this world of living things is going to be a struggle . . . even unto itself.
Frankenstein was here to push buttons. And James Whale, who had already fired Bela Lugosi in favor of Karloff, knew it. Even his steely-eyed direction, confident in almost every single way, seems to suggest that he knew this film was going to influence everything which followed in its wake.
From the God-like power wielded by the mad scientist at the center of this thriller to the accidental drowning of the little girl (Marliyn Harris, who couldn’t swim at the time but was thrown in the river several times regardless) in the village, he offers no apologies for the material . . . only a steadfast fervor in which it is presented to the audience . . . who hungrily ate it up, willing to believe that such a mindless and conflicted thing could walk among us.
Twenty minutes in and Whale has already won the audience over.
Opening with a grave robbing scene in which the chills are delivered in an unsettling manner, James Whale’s Frankenstein, originally released in 1931, was operating ahead of its time. The risk was huge for Universal with this adaptation. Would they have an absolute shocker to continue building their horror stories with or would the subject matter be far too gone and out there for the audience? Too raw? Too bleak? Too offensive for Pre-Code Hollywood? No one could answer for sure, but - should you look at the preview reviews - everything in Frankenstein worked to create a tonal masterpiece of mood and MONSTER MAYHEM.
The horror as this mad scientist went from theory to practice was in the details. But would it offend or terrify the moviegoer? It was a big risk. One that Universal had to make if they were going to make a name for themselves after their recent success with Dracula. But could Boris Karloff become their next Lon Chaney?
From the use of shadows to the camera angles from cinematographer Arthur Edeson, the evening setting as Henry Frankenstein and his hunchbacked assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) wait in silence to cut down a recently hung criminal, the suspense is built and supremely stitched together as if it too were one of Henry’s experiments.
Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., and adapted from Mary Shelly’s book of the same name, Frankenstein was a world-wide hit. Audiences couldn’t get enough of the mayhem created by this soulless creature who wandered from one location to the next, trying to find its place to just be. The path it takes is one of tragedy, ending - for a moment or two - at the Old Mill.
As make-up artist Jack Pierce and Karloff collaborated on the right look for the monster, it was Karloff who agreed to have a whole bridge of molars removed so that he could suck in his cheek with menacing purpose. It worked. Especially in black-and-white and what a timeless monster the two artists created, selling more masks than any other creature for Halloween seasons to come.
Suffer this existence along Karloff. Frankenstein is now on 4K Ultra HD thanks to Universal Home Entertainment.
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition
Home Video Distributor: Universal Home Entertainment
Available on 4K UHD - October 11, 2022
Screen Formats: 1.37:1
Subtitles: English SDH; French; German; Italian; Japanese; Spanish; Danish; Dutch; Finnish; Mandarin (Simplified); Norwegian; Swedish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; French: DTS 2.0; Spanish: DTS 2.0; German: DTS 2.0; Italian: DTS 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
An unforgettable masterpiece, the original Frankenstein stars Boris Karloff as the screen's most tragic and iconic monster in what many consider to be the greatest horror film ever made. Tampering with life and death, Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) pieces together salvaged body parts to bring a human monster to life. The mad scientist's dreams are shattered by his creation's violent rage as the monster awakens to a world in which he is unwelcome. Featuring groundbreaking makeup by Jack Pierce, director James Whale's adaptation of Mary Shelley's masterpiece novel blends themes of horror, isolation and compassion, and remains one of the most shocking movies of all time.
VIDEO
Framed in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, Edeson’s work here is impressive as this release marks a newly restored version of the film. The blacks and grays are handled expertly by the transfer and there is strong and striking lighting throughout. Beads of sweat are visible, the textures of the streets, fabrics in clothing, and even the dirt in the castle is all visible with fine textures throughout. Shadows, while not too terribly detailed, are thick and atmospheric throughout. Black levels are strong and the cobwebs are thick!
AUDIO
The original uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition has been restored.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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See Breakdown below.
Special Features:
Universal celebrates the living dead with the following supplemental items.
- Includes 4K UHD, Blu-ray and a digital copy of Frankenstein (Subject to expiration. )
- 4x Sharper than Full HD with High Dynamic Range (HDR10)
- The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made A Monster
- Karloff: The Gentle Monster
- Universal Horror
- Frankenstein Archives
- Boo!: A Short Film
- Trailer Gallery
- 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics
- Monster Tracks
- Feature Commentary with Film Historian Rudy Behlmer
- Feature Commentary with Historian Sir Christopher Frayling
- Boo! A Short Film
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MPAA Rating: Approved.
Runtime: 70 mins
Director: James Whale
Writer: John L. Balderston
Cast: Colin Clive; Mae Clarke; Boris Karloff
Genre: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline: The Original Horror Show.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Crazy, am I? We'll see whether I'm crazy or not."
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: November 21, 1931
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 11, 2022.
Synopsis: Dr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.
