Frankenstein (1931) (5 Stars)

It can be argued that the monster in the film "Frankenstein" isn't Boris Karloff, who walks around with a scarred face and bolts in his neck. The true monster is Henry Frankenstein, the man who created him. Note that his name is Henry in the film, not Victor as in Mary Shelley's novel. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for renaming him. Maybe the director and the screenwriter never read the novel?

What I mean to say is that Henry Frankenstein is driven by madness. In the novel Victor Frankenstein wants to do something to benefit mankind. In the film Henry Frankenstein wants to be like God. He wants to replace God as the creator of life. His famous words after creating the monster are "In the name of God, now I know what it feels like to be God". This isn't atheism. It's a man who believes in an almighty God but thinks he can be God's equal.

The Monster, which I write with a capital M because it's the only name given him in the film, isn't really evil. He's an innocent creature who doesn't know what he's doing. For instance, he plays with a little girl by a lake. She throws flowers into the lake, showing him how they float. He throws the girl into the lake, expecting her to float as well. This apparent murder, which would be called manslaughter today, is what drives the villagers to hunt him down. The Monster is a tragic character. If Henry Frankenstein had trained him better he wouldn't have killed as many people.

This is a magnificent film, despite the strong deviations from the novel.

Success Rate:  + 43.8

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