The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) Dir: Terence Fisher

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As I continued to explore the filmography of the iconic British production company Hammer, I was next drawn to yet another Terence Fisher directed adaptation. This time it was 1957's 'The Curse Of Frankenstein', based, of course, on Mary Shelley's magnificent and beloved gothic novella; 'Frankenstein'. I couldn't wait to watch this - I love the book, and this adaptation is fairly highly acclaimed.

This film and its sets were beautifully coloured and immaculately dressed. The set design was just delicious. Molly Arbuthnot also deserves a lot of credit for her costume designs, especially for the character of 'Elizabeth', who looked breathtakingly stunning throughout the film. These aesthetic visuals, in coalition with the dramatic and suspenseful music of composer James Bernard, made for a wonderfully atmospheric and gothic viewing experience.

Much like the following year's 'Dracula', this was a very snappy and concise adaptation of its classic source material. And, similarly to the aforementioned 'Dracula', I found myself not minding the alterations to the narrative that were made by writer Jimmy Sangster. I loved this version of 'Victor Frankenstein' - it was a little different from the book, but I honestly thought it worked brilliantly. This dark, morbid, and devious depiction of the scientist was fascinating.

As illuded to above, Peter Cushing's portrayal of Frankenstein was absolutely superb. This was a commanding and consumate performance from a man who is synonymous with Hammer horrors. It was a pleasure to see how smoothly and subtly Cushing's acting evolved from the beginning of the story to its end. Hazel Court's performance was as good as her wardrobe, in that it was immaculate. I adored her - she was so endearing and wholesome; the perfect juxtaposition to Cushing's dark Frankenstein.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the supporting performance from Rupert Urquhart, who I wasn't necessarily expecting to enjoy as much as I did. His facial expressions in particular were so effective. Christopher Lee's performance was a little more goofy than I thought it might be, but I still enjoyed it. The disorientated, confused, and pained, depiction of the iconic monster was well-acted by the legendary actor, even if I didn't find it all that scary, mainly because of his character's slightly odd hair and makeup design.

Overall, I thought this was an excellently written and brilliantly macabre horror adaptation, which still works so well, even seventy years later. This classic is worth watching just for Peter Cushing's epic starring performance alone, but it has so many commendable features aside from that as well. In regards to gothic horror, I would certainly place this among the best that I've seen thus far.