Frankenstein (1931) – 8/10 – The Monster That Changed Horror Forever
Overall
Frankenstein is the original movie adaptation of the book a century after its publication. Filmmakers altered plotlines from the novel, so I consider the script its own entity. This film set the bar for the horror genre, although the official term for ‘horror’ wouldn’t be used for a few years. It’s easy to judge the film by modern horror standards, but doing that would be a mistake. The horror genre has evolved significantly since 1931 that it hardly resembles what it was ninety years ago. For example, background score is a crucial dimension to the horror genre for setting the atmosphere. Frankenstein has little or none.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, classics are always worth watching, especially the originals. While the remakes are arguably better, the original still holds a certain charm. It’s fascinating how much society has changed since the film’s release. Religious groups expressed outrage at the depiction of someone playing God, even though it was fictional. Countless countries banned it because they viewed the plot as demoralizing and immoral, and Universal forced cuts from the original camera negatives stemming from fear. The filmmakers also included an announcement to warn audiences about the story. People may laugh today at those overreactions, but this was the 1930s. The term ‘horror’ didn’t even exist yet, and audiences had seen nothing like it. Later editions of the film restored scenes censored upon release. My rating is 8/10.
Plot (spoiler-free)
Doctor Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) wishes to create a living human using body parts from dead humans. After years of failures, he finally succeeded in creating the monster (Boris Karloff). His plans don’t unfold as expected, and his creation escapes the lab. Frankenstein and the town must confront the consequences of the monster on the loose.
Interesting tidbits
The original ending didn’t get positive reactions in test screenings, causing Universal to re-shot a new ending. Censors considered Frankenstein’s line “Now I know what it’s like to be God!” blasphemous and forced it removed. Many years later, they restored it after finding a clean recording. The monster’s make-up took four hours to apply and weighed 48 pounds (his shoes alone are 13 pounds each). The make-up design itself remained copyrighted until January 2026. Boris Karloff, who played the monster, injured his back carrying Frankenstein and dealt with back issues for life. This film was the first to use the Castle Thunder sound effect, reused for almost a century across countless films and animations.
Technicals
Frankenstein is a classic that transformed movies forever, but it’s not without notable flaws. The best aspects are the acting, directing, cinematography, make-up, set design, locations, and special effects. Karloff’s Monster is brilliant and iconic. It’s the one unforgettable aspect everyone mentions, and I concur. Karloff steals the show. Director James Whale is the other aspect that gets mentioned often. He keeps the narrative concise without meandering into unnecessary detours. Directors often stray into tangents that bore audiences, but he avoids that. Whale was ahead of his time with that and in his filming style.
I think later Frankenstein remakes captured the novel’s themes better than this. This version of Frankenstein’s monster felt butchered from the novel. Here, he’s more monstrous than he should be, and the subtlety and nuances of his morality are missing. Frankenstein remakes improved upon this in future decades, including Del Toro’s Frankenstein in 2025. Second, the lack of a background score seems curious. Lots of movies had background scores in 1931, so I’m unclear why Whale omitted one. Music can be a phenomenal component of atmosphere-building. Third, the editing sometimes appears unusual. The reason is obvious: editors had to cut camera negatives by hand.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/name information from Wiki
