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Frankenstein

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7.5/10 • 1.6K

1931-11-211h 10m

DramaHorrorScience Fiction

THE MAN WHO MADE A MONSTER

Tampering with life and death, Henry Frankenstein pieces together salvaged body parts to bring a human monster to life; the mad scientist's dreams are shattered by his creation's violent rage as the monster awakens to a world in which he is unwelcome.

Directors
James Whale
Editors
Clarence Kolster

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Colin Clive

    Colin Clive

    Henry Frankenstein

  2. Mae Clarke

    Mae Clarke

    Elizabeth

  3. John Boles

    John Boles

    Victor Moritz

  4. Boris Karloff

    Boris Karloff

    The Monster

  5. Edward Van Sloan

    Edward Van Sloan

    Doctor Waldman

  6. Frederick Kerr

    Frederick Kerr

    Baron Frankenstein

  7. Dwight Frye

    Dwight Frye

    Fritz

  8. Lionel Belmore

    Lionel Belmore

    The Burgomaster

  9. Marilyn Harris

    Marilyn Harris

    Little Maria

Reviews6

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Dsnake1 Avatar

Dsnake1

Oct 4, 2018

8/10

Frankenstein, a movie primarily about how Doctor Henry Frankenstein deals with the fallout of his monster actually coming to life, holds up very well almost ninety years from its release. Starting with the monster itself, we find a fantastic character. Without any lines of dialogue, the filmmakers and Boris Karloff had to use actions and emotions to display the motivations of the monster, and they did a fantastic job of it. The fear, confusion, and longing that the novel describes are evident in the monster's actions, to the point of pushing the audience to root for him. The rest of the characters are also a bit of fun. Baron Frankenstein, played by Fred Kerr, was also a hoot. He played a no-nonsense character that functioned well in the comic-relief role needed with Edward Van Sloan's Dr. Wladman and Mae Clarke's Elizabeth being quite serious, even dramatic. Colin Clive, the man who played Doctor Henry, did a decent job in his role as well, pulling off the role of being consumed by his work, even when he desired to be free from it. The acting, overall, was a touch more theatrical than I would prefer in a horror movie, but it wasn't so distracting that it pulled me out of the film. The film is a ton of fun to watch, but I do have to say it isn't exactly terrifying. The atmospheric creepiness is somewhat lacking compared to modern-era horror, even going back fifty years. That being said, the movie, if thought about and rewatched, does a good job of displaying how the fear of the unknown, and letting that fear take over, can be the real monster.

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$291,000.00
Revenue
$12,000,000.00
Keywords
firemonsterexperimentbased on novel or bookreanimationlaboratorymad doctorblack and whitepre-codebody partangry mobwoman in perilvillagerhuman monsterfrankenstein