Director James Whale first entered the horror scene in 1931 directing one of the greatest horror films ever made: FRANKENSTEIN. After the success of Frankenstein, naturally Universal Studios wanted James to direct more horror films. Next came the underrated classic THE OLD DARK HOUSE, another with Karloff and an all-star cast of Charles Laughton and Gloria Stuart. For his third horror entry James Whale adapted H.G. Wells classic novel The Invisible Man. With Karloff taking a break from this James Whale horror outing, Claude Rains stepped in to portray the titular villain and became a legend in the process. Gloria Stuart once again takes the female lead along with bit parts by the great Dwight Frye and horror icon John Carradine.
But what really makes the Invisible Man so memorable are the effects. The wizards at Universal actually showed audiences a man disappear on screen. For 1933 that first scene was mind blowing.
THE PLOT
A scientist by the name of Jack Griffin discovers the means to render his flesh and bone completely transparent. In his excitement he failed to discover a means to become visible again. Dressed in a suit, long coat, and hat and every inch of exposed flesh covered in gauze, Dr. Griffin disappears into the countryside to find a cure. While the effect of the experiment on his body is painfully evident to him, what he doesn't realize is the effect of the chemicals on his mind. Slowly Dr. Griffin descends into madness, at first harmless before turning homicidal. In the throes of insanity Griffin returns home to his loved ones, death and destruction in his wake.
WHAT I LIKED
A Man Disrobing. No, seriously. I mean, the scene where Dr. Griffin first removes all his clothes only to reveal nothing underneath. The special effects on display in this movie were mind blowing for the time and are still astounding today when you think that this film was made in 1933 (a huge year for special effects filmmaking as 1933 also saw the release of the original KING KONG). You actually see Claude Rains strip down completely but where there should be a body there is nothing but clear empty space. The effect is incredible, not to mention chilling combined with Claude Rains' voice and acting. There's an even crazier undressing scene later on when Dr. Griffin disrobes in front of a mirror, one of the most technically complex shots in cinema history.
A Modern Horror Tale. What separates this film from nearly all the other Universal Monster movies is its lack of a supernatural presence. No lycanthropy curse. No vampires or reanimated corpses. Science is the culprit here and it takes place in relatively modern day (modern for 1933) as opposed to the European old world setting. And it's an unforeseen side effect of the drug that slowly eats away at the protagonist's mind, not the devil or a curse. The movie shows some real human darkness too. Griffin steals, assaults, blackmails, and flat out threatens to kill people. He derails a train carrying hundreds of passengers (a moment that may give the Invisible Man the highest body count of all the Universal monsters). And what's more is that there is no supernatural evil force behind the acts of cruelty and mayhem. It's just a man who has suddenly become unhinged. Scary, no?
Claude Rains. James Whale is the director and has a lot to do with this film being as amazing as it is. He certainly deserves the lion's share of the credit. But so does Claude Rains. We only ever get to see his face at the very end so the majority of the film his acting has to come through his voice and body language. And man, his voice is chilling and malevolent. His movements too are direct, forceful, and downright crazy at times, showing the audience just how far gone the character really is. Some of the most underappreciated performers of horror cinema are those of the monsters. Many times the actors portraying the lead villains have to convey their emotions and motivations from behind a mask or layers upon layers of make-up. Lon Chaney Sr. paved the way along with Conrad Veidt, Boris Karloff, and Claude Rains. Incredible performances despite such handicaps as being covered in prosthesis or one's face hidden entirely.
NITPICKS
I have none. I first saw this film as an adult in my mid twenties and I was blown away. This film still impresses the hell out of me. As far as I'm concerned this film is untouchable and one of the milestones in not just horror cinema but also special effects cinema. James Whale proved not once, not twice, but four fricken times that he was a genius filmmaker and his films changed horror cinema forever. And The Invisible Man, while not the first monster to come to mind, is certainly one of the greatest.
THE VERDICT
The Invisible Man separates itself from the greater Universal Monster canon as being a modern horror story as opposed to a superstitious old world scenario. Claude Rains breathes terrible life into the transparent Dr. Jack Griffin, showcasing genuine human darkness and madness. And the horror is made all the more striking by the jaw-dropping special effects. The film is fast paced, more so than many of its peers, and still incredibly entertaining today. A true horror movie masterpiece.
Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10
Invisible Nude-O-Meter: 10 out of 10
The main character's bits are flopping around everywhere! Albeit invisible...
For more classic horror and Universal monster films check out these masterpieces as well
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