There have been many film adaptations of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" over the years, stretching back more than a century at this point. Apart from Universal's "Frankenstein" and its immediate sequel, "Bride of Frankenstein", Hammer's "The Curse of Frankenstein" is probably the most celebrated entry in that long line of films.
Arriving at a time when traditional gothic horror had mostly been brushed aside by the newfound fears of the atomic age, "The Curse of Frankenstein" revitalized the horror genre and ushered in a new wave of fright flicks, much like Universal's "Frankenstein" had done almost 30 years earlier. The movie's success was also instrumental for Hammer Films, who quickly became synonymous with the horror genre.
As for the movie itself, like Universal's version of the story, it doesn't necessarily hew that closely to Mary Shelley's original novel. The key elements are in place, though, and Jimmy Sangster's script is intelligent without letting the film get dragged down by the weight of the story's philosophical underpinnings. At a slim 82 minutes, the plot moves fairly briskly and doesn't overstay its welcome.
The acting is above par for a horror movie with Peter Cushing delivering a standout performance as Baron Frankenstein and Robert Urquhart admirably providing the film's conscience. Although the character of Frankenstein's monster isn't developed as well as I would have liked, Christopher Lee did pretty well in the role. That being said, it's basically a foregone conclusion that he'd be hard-pressed to measure up to Boris Karloff's legendary portrayal. Hazel Court rounds out the main players with a decent performance in a fairly bland role as Baron Frankenstein's betrothed.
From a technical standpoint, the movie shows a level of craftsmanship that's more than adequate for a production of this type. While Hammer didn't have the resources of a Hollywood studio like Universal they made good use of what they had at their disposal. The sets and art direction are convincing and the special effects are ably executed. The direction & score may not be especially noteworthy but they both got the job done.
Overall, I think that the "The Curse of Frankenstein" does enough things right to make it stand out from the earlier efforts by Universal. It's essential viewing for horror fans, particularly due to its place in history, but more casual moviegoers may not be as enthusiastic about it.
Arriving at a time when traditional gothic horror had mostly been brushed aside by the newfound fears of the atomic age, "The Curse of Frankenstein" revitalized the horror genre and ushered in a new wave of fright flicks, much like Universal's "Frankenstein" had done almost 30 years earlier. The movie's success was also instrumental for Hammer Films, who quickly became synonymous with the horror genre.
As for the movie itself, like Universal's version of the story, it doesn't necessarily hew that closely to Mary Shelley's original novel. The key elements are in place, though, and Jimmy Sangster's script is intelligent without letting the film get dragged down by the weight of the story's philosophical underpinnings. At a slim 82 minutes, the plot moves fairly briskly and doesn't overstay its welcome.
The acting is above par for a horror movie with Peter Cushing delivering a standout performance as Baron Frankenstein and Robert Urquhart admirably providing the film's conscience. Although the character of Frankenstein's monster isn't developed as well as I would have liked, Christopher Lee did pretty well in the role. That being said, it's basically a foregone conclusion that he'd be hard-pressed to measure up to Boris Karloff's legendary portrayal. Hazel Court rounds out the main players with a decent performance in a fairly bland role as Baron Frankenstein's betrothed.
From a technical standpoint, the movie shows a level of craftsmanship that's more than adequate for a production of this type. While Hammer didn't have the resources of a Hollywood studio like Universal they made good use of what they had at their disposal. The sets and art direction are convincing and the special effects are ably executed. The direction & score may not be especially noteworthy but they both got the job done.
Overall, I think that the "The Curse of Frankenstein" does enough things right to make it stand out from the earlier efforts by Universal. It's essential viewing for horror fans, particularly due to its place in history, but more casual moviegoers may not be as enthusiastic about it.