Frankenstein (1931) Dir: James Whale
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Mary Shelley's quintessential and iconic work of literature is my favourite book of all time. However, I've never seen an on-screen adaptation of her story before, for whatever reason. It felt only right to begin with James Whale's acclaimed 1931 black and white version. I must admit, I was very keen to see what it would be like.
Immediately, I could tell that this was a more simplistic depiction of the Shelley's narrative. In fairness, this was pretty understandable, considering the runtime and filmmaking limitations of the era. I should clarify, I didn't dislike the direction that Whale took the story - I thought it still maintained enough of the original elements of the story to feel like a Frankenstein adaptation.
I was very impressed with a number of the shot choices throughout the film. There were some genuinely beautiful and well-framed visuals, particularly in the second half of the film. It made watching it a very pleasant and interesting viewing experience.
I actually quite enjoyed how fast paced the story was. It emphasised the urgency, fury and panic in the characters, and meant that the film never lost momentum. The ending was slightly jarring, and perhaps the only alteration to the story I actively didn't like.
Colin Clive provided a fairly strong performance as Dr. Frankenstein, although, I wish his portrayal had been a bit more faithful to the book - I realise this wasn't necessarily his choice though. His actual acting was consistent all around.
Boris Karloff was marvellous as the monster. I knew his portrayal was highly acclaimed, but even so, I was very pleased by what he gave to the role. His facial expressions were genuinely wonderful.
Mae Clarke and John Boles gave the most memorable performances of the supporting cast, particularly Clarke, while the likes of Edward Van Sloan, Frederick Kerr and Dwight Frye deserve mentions for their relatively small but competent roles.
Overall, while the changes to the story annoyed me slightly, I still really enjoyed this classic horror film. I thought it had some beautiful shots and an understandably iconic performance from Frankenstein's monster. This is definitely a classic that I'll be revisiting again soon enough. It was a very easy watch.
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