[HorrorScience] Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Reading time: 7 minutes

Qualification

Bride of Frankenstein

Year

1935

Duration

75 minutes

Director

James Whale

Distribution

Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesiger, Gavin Gordon, Una O'Connor, E. E. Clive, Dwight Frye

Script

William Hurlburt

If there is a common expression in cinema, it is that of “second parts were never good”, a phrase that we have all said at some point in our lives. While it is true that there are sequels that equal or surpass the original film, it is normal that most of them are made in a hurry or without desire, thinking that the mere fact of continuing the previous one is enough to ensure success.

One of the consequences that It is usually considered equal to or even better than the original is Bride of Frankenstein (Bride of Frankenstein) by James Whale, released 4 years later Frankenstein (1931) by the same director.

Bride of Frankenstein was such a great success that The character is recognized by many people who have never seen the film and thanks to her popularity she is usually part of Universal Monsters, which means that she has been turned into a popular icon thanks to hundreds of products with her face, and all this despite appearing in the film for less than 4 minutes.

After some unnecessary scenes where Mary Shelley and her companions are represented talking about the book of Frankenstein and how I planned to continue it, the film begins by taking us to the end of the previous one: the destruction of Frankenstein's monster.

After getting the sick Henry Frankenstei to safety, many townspeople come to see if the monster that killed their family and friends is still alive or not... obviously the answer is the second, so in a few minutes the curious will discover that the creature still lives and she is angrier than ever.

While Dr. Frankenstein rests in his room, he receives a visit from a sinister man named Dr. Pretorious, who insists on speaking with Henry Frankenstein. Apparently Pretorious is interested in knowing how Dr. Frankenstein managed to create the monster, because when he tried to create life his results were very different, having only been able to create some rather comical little homunculi (something that seems much more complicated than creating Frankenstein's monster, by the way). Pretorious proposes to Henry that they work together and create a new being., but Henry, regretful of having created the monster, rejects the idea.

[HorrorScience] Bride of Frankenstein (1935) — The captured monster

Meanwhile, the monster has been captured by the townspeople, who chain him and lock him in a cell, from which he soon breaks free to wreak havoc once again. This time, the monster's adventures will lead him to find a lonely house where a blind hermit lives, who, not being able to see his appearance, will treat him with tenderness and affection. This situation serves toThe creature puts aside its evil, learns to speak and begins to enjoy human contact and the small pleasures of life that had been deprived of him. Unfortunately, two hunters enter the blind man's cabin to ask him how to get out of the forest and upon seeing the monster they decide to attack him and “save” the poor old man.

The monster, devastated, continues to wander and flee from people, until he meets Dr. Pretorious, who makes a deal with him. Now allies, both characters are going to force Henry Frankenstein to create a companion for the monster.

It is undeniable that Bride of Frankenstein It is superior to the original film in many ways., especially in the treatment given to the monster and its evolution, (much closer to that of the original book than in the rest of Universal Pictures' Frankenstein films).

Another success is the character of Dr. Pretorious, tremendously sinister and funny, a curious counterpoint to Henry Frankenstein. Although it is also true that Pretorious' creations are one of the weakest points of the film, not only for being comical, but for being tremendously fantastic for a film that (to a certain extent) tries to take itself seriously. Following the example of Mary Shelley herself, we are never explained how the sinister doctor managed to create his tiny beings.

Unfortunately the movie too It has completely wasted characters, like Dr. Frankenstein himself, who honestly adds little to the film, especially since he constantly changes his mind. Another wasted actor is Dwight Frye, who played Rendfield magnificently in Dracula (1931) and also participated in Frankenstein (1931) playing the doctor's hunchbacked assistant. This time Dwight plays one of the thieves who work for Pretorious, a small role about which there is little to say.

Although if we talk about a wasted character, it is worth mentioning again the few minutes that Frankenstein's bride appears on screen. I would like to say that those minutes are pure gold, but they are not, he does practically nothing, although his small acts are more than enough to bring about the magnificent ending of the film.

Taking into account that the film lasts just over an hour, it would be logical to think that these characters contribute little because there is no time for more. Unfortunately, I have to say that this is not the case and the main reason for this is that there is a character who appears more minutes on screen than those mentioned above. Who? Well, the old screamer of the town, who is also Dr. Frankenstein's servant, the unbearable Minnie, played by Una O'Connor.

Minnie is the humorous resource of the film, unfortunately her humor is anything but funny, since she spends her time shouting, complaining about everything, nagging at the police, whispering... Maybe it's my problem, but I can't stand the character and I find the number of scenes she has an insult compared to the Monster's Bride or Henry Frankenstein.

In short, I think that Bride of Frankenstein It is an almost complete sequel, it is a good second part and gives us some of the best scenes that Universal has filmed with Frankenstein's monster on screen. In many ways it is superior to the original, but in others it is wildly inconsistent or downright ridiculous.

I recommend that you watch both films in a row, in just over 2 hours you will have seen two of the best movies that have been made about Frankenstein's monster.

Curiosities of this movie.

Según algunas fuentes, el papel de Dr Pretorious fue escrito pensando en Bela Lugosi
Muchas partes del guión fueron censuradas o modificadas como los diálogos en los cuales el Dr Frankenstein comparándose con Dios, la semidesnudez de la novia y determinados asesinatos.
Algunas personas consideraron que la película contenía mensajes subliminales homosexuales, especialmente después de que se supiera que el director de la película lo era. En algunos países también se consideró que la película podía incitar a la necrofilia.