Frankenstein (1931) is still weirdly creepy and heartbreaking

You should definitely watch this today if you like movies that feel like a bad dream you had after eating too much cheese. It is perfect for anyone who likes spooky atmosphere but might be a bit too slow for people who need constant jump scares or CGI explosions. If you hate old black and white movies where people talk in a slightly theatrical way, you’ll probably want to skip it.

I watched this again last night and the first thing that hit me was how quiet it is. There is almost no music at all. You just hear the sound of wind and boots hitting the stone floors of that creepy tower. It makes every little noise feel ten times louder and more important.

The movie starts with a guy coming out from behind a curtain to warn us that the film might scare us. It feels a bit cheesy now, but I kind of love it. It sets the mood better than a modern trailer ever could. 🧪

Dr. Henry Frankenstein is played by Colin Clive, and the guy looks like he has had about ten cups of coffee and zero hours of sleep. He is so frantic. When he yells "It's alive!", he sounds like he’s actually lost his mind. It is a bit much, but it fits the vibe of a guy digging up corpses in the rain.

Speaking of digging, that opening scene in the graveyard is still super effective. The way the shovel hits the wooden coffin has this hollow, thumping sound that stays with you. You can almost smell the wet dirt. It’s much grittier than I remembered.

Then there is Fritz, the assistant. He’s basically the reason everything goes wrong because he drops the good brain and grabs the "abnormal" one. I forgot how much he enjoys poking the monster with a torch. He’s kind of a jerk, honestly. 😒

When we finally see the Monster, it’s not what you expect if you only know the parodies. Boris Karloff is doing something really special here. He doesn't just walk around like a robot. He moves like a giant toddler who is confused and scared of his own hands.

There is this one shot where he first comes into the room, walking backward. Then he turns around slowly. The camera zooms in on his face three times. It’s a simple trick, but it actually gave me chills. His eyes look so heavy and sad.

One of the weirdest parts is when Henry and his old teacher are just sitting there watching the Monster. It feels like a science fair project gone horribly wrong. They treat him like an object, and you can see why the poor guy gets so cranky later on. 🧟‍♂️

The scene with the little girl, Maria, by the lake is the one everyone talks about. It’s still really uncomfortable to watch. They are just throwing flowers into the water, and the Monster thinks she’s a flower too. It’s a huge tonal shift from the rest of the movie. It’s not scary in a "boo!" way, it’s just tragic.

I noticed some of the village scenes feel a bit dated, almost like they belong in a different movie. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks but without the comedy. Everyone is wearing vests and carrying torches like it's a mandatory town activity.

The sets are incredible, though. The lab has all these spinning gadgets and humming machines that don't seem to do anything specific. They just look cool and scientific in a 1930s way. It’s way more interesting than a clean modern lab with flat screens.

I did find myself getting a bit bored during the scenes with Elizabeth and Victor. They are just there to worry about Henry. Their dialogue feels a bit stiff, almost like a stage play like Disraeli. I just wanted to get back to the tower and the monster.

The ending at the windmill is absolute chaos. There is so much fire and screaming. The way the Monster is trapped inside while the blades are turning is such a strong visual. You can tell they put a lot of work into the stunts, even if some of the dummies they throw off the roof look like, well, dummies.

One thing that bothered me is the very last scene. It feels like it was added just to make the audience feel better. Henry is just lying in bed after falling off a giant windmill, and everyone is having a drink. It feels a bit too tidy after all the horror we just saw. 🍷

I think the movie works because it doesn't try to explain too much. We don't know exactly how the electricity works, and we don't need to. It’s all about the feeling of being somewhere you shouldn't be, doing things you shouldn't do.

Karloff's hands are worth watching alone. He uses them to express everything the Monster can't say. When he reaches up toward the light in the ceiling, it’s actually kind of beautiful. He just wants to touch something warm.

The movie is short, too. It’s barely over an hour. It doesn't overstay its welcome or try to set up a sequel with a post-credits scene. It just tells this weird, dark story and then ends.

Random thoughts I wrote down:

• The Baron is actually kind of funny, even though he's supposed to be serious.
• How did they get that giant equipment up into a tower with no elevator?
• The Monster’s suit looks like it’s made of very heavy wool. He must have been sweating.
• The lack of music makes the screams much more piercing.
• I wish we saw more of the process of building him, but maybe that's too gross.

It is definitely worth your time, even if you’ve seen the clips a thousand times. There is a texture to the film that you just don't get anymore. It feels heavy and dusty and real. Even the mistakes, like the way some of the background actors just stand there, make it feel more human.

If you want to see where every horror movie trope started, this is it. But beyond that, it’s just a really solid piece of filmmaking that still has the power to make you feel sorry for a guy made of old body parts. It’s a bummer, but a good one.