"Frankenstein" Still Has the Power to Unsettle

There's a reason Frankenstein is titled after the mad scientist rather than his monster (monster actor extraordinaire Boris Karloff). Mary Shelley's story turns the re-awakened corpse into the tragic figure of our sympathies, while Dr. Frankenstein increasingly becomes hell bent on hubris and power. There are few moments in film history quite as sickening as Colin Clive's delighted gasps of "It's alive!" The film's closing moments where Frankenstein's new father-in-law raises a toast to the future of the House of Frankenstein is underlined by bitter irony.

Frankenstein is admittedly clumsy at times with scenes so clearly set on pre-fabricated sets that it's hard to take seriously (It's just on the right side of Ed Wood). However, the staginess of the play is occasionally super effective; it's not a film that's predicated on suspense but rather atmosphere and philosophical quandaries. In its best moments, the film is shot in a highly expressive style (reminiscent of Nosferatu) where the sets and lighting turn the film into something as moody, sullen and despairing as Frankenstein's actions and their consequences.     

Grade: A