The Bride of Frankenstein - A Movie Review

What are we going to do if we see Frankenstein’s monster in the woods?

Bride of Frankenstein was released to cinemas in 1935. Surviving the events from the first film, Frankenstein’s monster is on the loose. Preferring to be good, he longs for a friend. The monster bequeaths the doctor for a mate.

It has been a long time since I viewed this film. Bride of Frankenstein is an impressive work for its time. It does an incredible job building emotion. Bride of Frankenstein does a magnificent job following the journey of the monster.

Boris Karloff’s connection to his character bore remarkable emotion. He did not have an easy time on this film. Reportedly, Karloff sweated off 20 pounds from the immense weight of his costume and makeup, dislocated his hip from a fall, and even had disagreements regarding his character.

The monster doesn’t get the respect that he yearns for. His best trait is that he tries to be better, which is the nature of the human world.

Most of the cast from the first film returned. Colin Clive was great in his ecstatic behavior. Originally, he didn’t think he should return due to his drinking problem, but the director thought otherwise.

The best character award goes to Una O’Conner for her over-the-top deliveries and reactions. Other credits include Ernest Thesiger, Gavin Gordon, Douglas Walton, E.E. Clive, and O.P Heggie as the hermit. And let’s not forget about Elsa Lanchester in her iconic appearance.

Replacing Mae Clarke as Elizabeth from the first film, I’m impressed with Valerie Hobson. Only 17 at the time of filming, Hobson’s mature demeanor was remarkable. Aside from the significant age gap between Clive and Hobson, Elizabeth fought her ground. However, filmmakers should have made Hobson resemble Elizabeth from the first film.

Bride of Frankenstein was filmed entirely on a sound stage. Special effects for the time were engrossing. I was most impressed by the technique where shrunken people were inside bottles. Designs for the backgrounds and settings caught the tone of the film.

The scenes shared by the monster and the hermit are the signature moments in the film. We should never care about disabilities that hold us back from living life or creating new friendships. Karloff and Heggie conveyed the best emotion, inspiring a monumental lesson of the story.

Originally, James Whale was not looking to make a sequel to his already iconic monster from released in 1931. Whale enforced the best direction from his actors, adding creative tricks. The settings, soundtrack, and overall tone of the film drew in viewers.

Something that I liked about Whale was how he saw past anyone’s flaws knowing that they exhibited talents. He didn’t give up on anyone. Most of the cast remarked how they enjoyed working with Whale on films.

Once again, the makeup for Frankenstein holds up well. Horror movie makeup has changed a lot over the decades. The makeup for both Karloff and Lanchester took over three hours to put on. Due to the restraints of her confining costume, Lanchester had to be carried around the set. And she could only eat meals through a straw!

I was fascinated with Bride of Frankenstein the first time I watched it. You discovered a lot of secrets to old horror movies. The film focused highly on its story. Most importantly, the emotion that was brought out has stayed with audiences. It’s genuine.

Films from the early 1900s deserve to be watched more. They hold a prominent mark on the film world, holding secrets that filmmakers could still learn from. Go watch Bride of Frankenstein.