Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Directed by James Whale

Film Review

It is easy to be dismissive of genre films, particularly those made in the Hollywood film factory.  The Bride of Frankenstein is classified as a horror film, one of a series of such films made by Universal Pictures in the 1930s and '40s, but it is considerably more than that. The crowning achievement of director James Whale's remarkable career, this film is not only regarded as the finest horror film ever made, but it is almost universally acknowledged as a great masterpiece of American cinema.

After the success of Frankenstein (1931), Universal's executives were determined to make a sequel, but it took several years before James Whale would agree to undertake the project.  This time round, Whale had much greater control over every area of the production than previously, and this shows in the superior quality and the unbridled humour of the end product.   The Bride of Frankenstein is that rare thing - a sequel that is significantly better than the original.

Colin Clive and Boris Karloff reprised their roles as Dr Frankenstein and his monster, although by this time Clive was in very poor health - he would die two years later, aged 37 - and Karloff had become a major Hollywood star.   Claude Rains - the lead actor in an earlier Whale film, The Invisible Man (1933) - was considered for the part of Dr Pretorius, but in the end this went to Whale's friend and mentor, Ernest Thesiger. Valerie Hobson replaced Mae Clarke as Frankenstein's wife, Elizabeth.  Elsa Lanchester (the wife of Charles Laughton) was given the dual role of Mary Shelley and the monster's mate.  Una O'Connor was appropriately cast as the hysterical maid Minnie, presumably on the strength of her wonderfully O.T.T. performance in The Invisible Man.

The art direction was by Charles D. Hall, who has also worked on the original film.  His stunning sets were beautifully complemented by John J. Mescall's stylishly expressionistic cinematography.  The film's evocative score, which skilfully employed leitmotifs for all of the main characters, was by Franz Waxman.  The sound recording earned the film its one and only Academy Award nomination.

The Bride of Frankenstein stands apart from Universal's other horror films not just in terms of its production quality, but also because of its very distinctive and satisfying blend of horror, humour and humanity.  The comedy veers from the sardonic to out-and-out farce  - compare Pretorius's dry wit to the wild hysteria of Una O'Connor when they each see the monster for the first time.  There are also some moments of exquisite poignancy - the sequence where the monster is befriended by a blind hermit is played with genuine warmth and sincerity and is easily the best part of the film.   And of course there are plenty of chills.

As in his first Frankenstein outing, Boris Karloff delivers an outstanding performance that combines menace and pathos in equal measure, and the fact that the character can now speak (albeit with a limited vocabulary) makes him even more sympathetic.   Ernest Thesiger's Dr Pretorius is the next best thing in the film - a Mephistophelean character who somehow manages to attain, simultaneously, the absolute extremes of the outrageously camp and the terrifyingly sinister.  As the monster mate, Elsa Lanchester is just as striking as Karloff, thanks to Jack Pierce's impressive make-up job, which includes one of the most iconic hairstyles ever.

Another of the The Bride of Frankenstein's triumphs are its special effects, which are extraordinary for a film of this era.  From Pretorius's miniature people to the set piece laboratory scenes in the exciting denouement, the film sets new standards in the quality of effects, and these look impressive even when compared with what can be achieved today.

The moral messages of the first Frankenstein film are repeated, perhaps more effectively in this sequel.  The brutal alienation of the monster parodies the way in which so-called civilised society treats individualists and non-conformists (something which Whale experienced in his own life).  The arrogance that consumes Pretorius and Frankenstein as they investigate the creation of life shows the dangers of pursuing scientific research for purely selfish motives or without an awareness of the consequences.

The immense success of The Bride of Frankenstein made it impossible for Universal not to go ahead with another sequel.  However, Whale was adamant he would not work on this - he had set his sights on more worthy subjects, such as The Road Back (1937), the sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front.  Boris Karloff agreed to play the monster in this third film, Son of Frankenstein (1939), but it would be his last appearance in this, his most celebrated, role.  The making of The Bride of Frankenstein featured in Bill Condon's 1998 film Gods and Monsters, which gives an insightful portrait of the life and career of James Whale.

Film Synopsis

Prompted by Lord Byron and her husband one stormy night in 1817, Mary Shelley tells the second part of her story about Dr Frankenstein and his unearthly creation.  Surviving the conflagration at the windmill, the monster goes on a rampage across the Bavarian countryside.  He encounters a blind hermit, who gives him food and shelter, and teaches him the rudiments of speech.  Meanwhile, Dr Frankenstein is convalescing after his last near-fatal showdown with the monster when he receives an unexpected visit - from the strange Dr Pretorius.  The latter has also been conducting experiments into artificial life and suggests that Dr Frankenstein should help him to make a female companion for his earlier creation...