The Curse of Frankenstein

The Curse of Frankenstein brings new life to Mary Shelley’s gothic tale. This colorized film adaptation adds a sense of gruesomeness to the story, and it also is the first adaptation where I’ve felt like Victor Frankenstein is the real monster. Peter Cushing is delightfully devilish in that role, and I was surprised to discover it was his first part in a feature film. It’s also fun to see Christopher Lee as The Creature, who is quite horrifying. I don’t wish to downplay Universal’s classic 1931 Frankenstein, which is undeniably iconic, but The Curse of Frankenstein may be my new favorite adaptation.

This movie focuses more on the doctor rather the creature. Amazing performance by the even more amazing duo of Cushing as Frankenstein and Lee as the Monster, with some terrific makeup on the latter. Must see if you are horror fan.

The Curse of Frankenstein doesn't bring anything new to the table compared to other versions of the story. Particularly, the philosophical questions are more refined in the original, and the tropes feel repetitive here. That said, the aesthetic and overall atmosphere are effective, as is the creepy creature.

Love that Victor Frankenstein is such a massive asshole in this. Really makes for the best use of Cushing.

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in their first appearance in a horror film for Hammer. Lee's portrayal of the creature is excellent. The make up is outstanding. The scene in which the creature the creature gets shot in the eye is a gory highlight in the film.

Having gone through Universal's catalogue of monster movies last Spooky Season, you know I had to do Hammer this time. Despite being hampered by Universal's constant interference with its production, The Curse of Frankenstein, even if you take away its landmarking significance, is still a terrific movie, signifying the second wave of cinematic horror some 25-odd years after the Universal heyday. Director Terence Fisher creates an unforgettable gothic atmosphere, lighting the film for black and white but shooting in colour, creating haunting elongated shadows that contrast beautifully with the vibrancy of its colour cinematography. Peter Cushing absolutely relishes his role as Frankenstein, making almost believable the ambitious urge and diabolical accomplishment, all the while Christopher Lee turns in a truly monstrous turn as the Monster, bringing with him just as much sympathy and terror as Karloff had done. In its best scenes, The Curse of Frankenstein adds dynamism and British grit to a genre that had previously tried to get by on atmospherics and mood alone. It manages to be shocking without being especially frightening, and its virtues of performance and style remain striking.

Incredibly slow plodding affair . Heard so many good things but it turned out to be more boring than anything

The Curse of Frankenstein doesn't get the level of modern recognition that it likely deserves for its influence upon release as the first color film from Hammer Studios, a worldwide box office triumph, and the first of what would ultimately become a seven-film franchise released over the course of more than 15 years. It brought Hammer Horror to the world, with all its Gothic visual trappings and penchant for light, tasteful gore, and made stars of both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (even if they would each gain greater prominence for their roles in later franchises). The only problem is that it falls into the classic trap of cinematic adaptations - a superficial interpretation of the source material. The film is not, nor does it ever intend to be, a true interpretation of Mary Shelley's novel; it's more conventionally creepy than a dark exploration of human nature. But while even the classic 1931 Universal adaptation, with its iconic shots and thematic daring, opted for a monster that lacked the ability to speak or scheme, it at least had a more compelling version of Frankenstein himself. Despite being ably portrayed by Cushing, the Baron here is less a cautionary tale of a largely good-natured man captured by his own greed and ambition, but a genuine villain who murders for his anatomical prizes, kills when he might be exposed, and oddly enough, cheats on his wife for some reason. With Cushing at the helm, he totally sells many of these more conventionally evil traits, it just lacks much of the substance that Shelley imparted to the original work. Plenty of set dressing and zany lab designs help sell the aesthetic that would define a movement in horror. (2.5/5)

Hammer Film Productions' first color horror film is actually quite good. I usually do not care much for film adaptations that significantly deviate from their source material. However, in the case of "The Curse of Frankenstein", the deviations were not too much of a liability. This 1957 horror film has a lot of positive aspects. The production design is very impressive. The costumes and sets look very authentic. They are not without their flaws however. For example, in the scene where Dr. Frankenstein murders Professor Bernstein, you can clearly see the wooden railing that Frankenstein pushes him through is already cut and the wood is very light. It almost looks like a sponge. On the other hand, the shot of the professor falling to his death is frighteningly realistic. The best thing about "The Curse of Frankenstein" is the cast. The late Peter Cushing and the late Robert Urquhart are great in this movie and have very good chemistry. The late Hazel Court is also quite good as Elizabeth. As far as the late Christopher Lee as The Creature, he does not have much to do here. He has a surprisingly small part in this movie and does not make much of a contribution to the movie itself. It's almost like he is a prop. The makeup effects are not all that good either. I understand it is hard to compete with the excellent makeup work done for the Universal Pictures classic "Frankenstein" starring the late Boris Karloff. That being said, the makeup looked like it was one of those cheap makeup kits you used to be able to buy at a toy store. Despite the movie's flaws, "The Curse of Frankenstein" was a very good movie that is very entertaining. I think it is worth your time.

Between 2 and 2.5 stars. Some of these old Hammer-style movies have resisted time, and some ofthers not. Apart that this vision of Frankenstein and his creature has changed, and that better versions of the monster, its adventures and its creator have been displayed, the main point of the movie (Christopher Lee as one of the main characters) does not allow him to show all his potential.