When it comes to horror films few horror sequels are viewed in higher regard than the originals. This is still true today, during an era where sequels are held in high regard and treated far better than they've ever been treated before. Horror sequels and their successes are a huge topic in itself, but off the top of my head, to name a few, EVIL DEAD II, DAWN OF THE DEAD, and ALIENS (although Aliens is less a horror film and more a sci-fi/action movie). Even still, every movie I mentioned above is debatable whether or not they surpass the original. It's all in your own opinion.
One horror sequel that is regarded both by critics and fans as just as good if not superior to the original is Universal Studios' classic THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Universal Studios gave director James Whale nearly everything he wanted including a longer production schedule and a larger budget. His fingerprints are all over the film in terms of script, set design, and general strangeness. His personality and sensibilities permeate the film from start to finish. In effect, Universal Studios treated this film like studios treat sequels today, which for the time, was quite rare. Not many horror sequels between 1935 and today can say that they were treated better than the original.
The original 1931 FRANKENSTEIN was the JAWS or STAR WARS of its day, a genre film of unprecedented success that changed commercial movie making forever. And it created an icon in Boris Karloff and The Monster. The Bride of Frankenstein did the same thing for Elsa Lanchester's character, The Bride, despite not being in the film very much at all. These are images that everyone the world over can identify, no longer merely representations of the genre, but images of cinema history.
Is The Bride of Frankenstein better than the original? I'll leave that up to you. But suffice it to say that it is an amazing film from start to finish, one that has left a lasting impression on the world.
THE PLOT
After the fire at the mill it is believed that both Dr. Frankenstein and the Monster he created had perished. Frankenstein is taken home where, in the presence of his beloved Elizabeth, miraculously revives. At the same time, in the wreckage of the mill, the Monster awakens, killing two people immediately. Both Frankenstein and his creation go their separate ways, wanting nothing to do with one another. The arrival of the mad and malevolent Dr. Pretorius draws both the Monster and his maker back together to defy God and nature once more.
WHAT I LIKED
A Sequel of Pedigree. Like I mentioned above, this film had far more resources than the original with which to assemble its parts. First off, the sets are far more elaborate from lush forests to expansive mansions. The laboratory set is filled with even crazier apparatuses. And like any good horror sequel, the body count is higher too (originally as high 22 before the censors cut it down to around 10)! Three of the four standout actors from the original return too, Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, and Dwight Frye being the most noteworthy.
Character Evolution. Like real life, the returning characters in this film are further developed over the course of this film. Henry Frankenstein's sanity returns to him, moving him further away from his mad scientist ways (and Colin Clive is wonderful as usual). But the real showstopper here is Boris Karloff. The Monster transforms from a growling murderous beast to a speaking, sympathetic, self-sacrificing character. The Monster even cries in this film. Another remarkable aspect of the Monster in this film are the make-up effects by Jack Pierce. The damage of the Windmill fire and subsequent collapse are shown on the Monster, from new scars to singed hair and bloody wounds. Taking it a step further, one can watch the Monster slowly regenerate over the course of the picture, including the regrowth of the hair.
The Bride. Actress Elsa Lanchester portrays two very key characters in this film, the first being Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in the film's prologue, the real creator of the Monster and Frankenstein. The Prologue is one of the more curious aspects of the film in that it acts as a recap of the first film and also replays the infamous night when Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, and John Polidori gathered and Mary first conceived of Frankenstein. In this sequence we see Elsa Lanchester as she really is, making her transformation into the Bride later on all the more striking. Only possessing 3 minutes of screen time, the Bride is nevertheless striking and memorable, both gothic and beautiful at once. Her movements and mannerisms are interesting and bizarre, Lanchester managing to impart so much character into the Bride in such a short amount of time.
NITPICKS
For being the titular character, the Bride is barely in the movie. We spend 70 minutes of the movie building towards the appearance of the Bride. Then she arrives, for a scant few minutes, dies, and the movie ends. It's a wonder how a character with such little content could become so iconic. While I wish we could've spent more time with the Bride in the movie, perhaps it's the Bride's fleeting 3 minutes of life that make every moment resonate all the stronger. There's also a sequence where Dr. Pretorius shows off a host of "miniature people" that he apparently grew. For me to say "that's a bridge too far" is saying something. I'm sure there's symbolism and commentary there that I'm completely missing but still, my suspension of disbelief stops here.
Ode To What Might've Been
Apparently there were originally 22 deaths in the film, the Monster racking up quite the body count. But the studio, as they do, censored the crap out of the movie, cutting 15 minutes from James Whale's original cut along with a new edit. Also there was reportedly a subplot where Dwight Frye's character goes on a killing spree, framing the Monster for the deaths. I love Dwight Frye's work, the man doesn't receive the credit he deserves, and it would've been great to see his role expanded. In this subplot Frye was apparently going to kill Elizabeth and her organs were going to be a part of the Bride. Elements of this survive as the Bride has an instant attraction to Dr. Frankenstein. This would've added a whole new layer to the Bride and I wish it would've remained. The film was also supposed to end with an epilogue by Mary Shelley, but this too was cut. This leaves me wondering what James Whale's director's cut would've looked like and hoping against hope that one day the original cut will surface for all to see!
Hey, if they can recover new footage for Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS, then maybe, just maybe there's a shot for The Bride of Frankenstein's uncut version to surface. Fingers crossed everybody!
THE VERDICT
The Bride of Frankenstein is a true classic in every sense of the word. It is a grander film in almost every aspect than its predecessor and boasts true cinema iconography. The characters are further evolved, in particular the Monster with Boris Karloff giving one of his greatest performances. And Elsa Lanchester's the Bride, while fleeting, is stunning and striking. Along with Karloff, Colin Clive returns to his greatest role as Dr. Frankenstein and Dwight Frye inhabits a new a possibly far more macabre role. While the film is considered as good if not superior to its predecessor, personally I prefer the original. But there is no dismissing The Bride of Frankenstein as one of the greatest films ever made.
Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10
For more classic horror check out the films below!
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