One of the earliest Hammer horror movies, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN tells a familiar tale, one that closely follows the plot of other adaptations, notably James Whale's groundbreaking film for Universal in 1930.
What makes Terence Fisher's version so compelling is the way in which the story has been treated; for the late Fifties it is surprisingly explicit in the way it depicts Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) handling various body-parts - eyes, limbs - and at one point is shown sawing the head off the corpse that forms the basis of the monster (Christopher Lee). The principal female characters Elizabeth (Hazel Court) and the maid Justine (Valerie Gaunt) wear period costumes whose décollété leaves little or nothing to the imagination. The only concession to the more squeamish viewers that Fisher makes is to refrain from showing the Monster killing his various victims, notably Grandpa (Fred Johnson) in gory detail.
Cushing turns in a memorable characterization of the Baron - an enthusiastic scientist who has spent much of his life being spoiled. In early sequence, the Baron is shown as a young boy (played by Melvyn Hayes) running the house on his own - ordering the servants around, and engaging a tutor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) to teach him about life's basics. This independence, acquired at so early an age, has both positive and negative effects: the Baron learns to fend for himself, but at the same time proves reluctant to take advice - even when it is well-intentioned. The adult Baron becomes more and more committed to the project of creating the Monster, even if it means contravening the laws of Nature. Krempe tries his best to dissuade him, but the Baron takes no notice; on the contrary, he becomes quite frenzied in his efforts to finish his experiments. Cushing suggests this cleverly through a series of bird-like movements; his body taut, his hands flitting across the instruments and test-tubes that clutter his laboratory.
In the end the Baron gets his comeuppance, as he is sent to jail and hanged. But Fisher does not send him to his death without providing a memorable denouement, which does not exist in the source-text but emphasizes the extent to which the Baron's brilliant intelligence has been corrupted by his scientific work.
Although only just over eighty minutes long, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN still has the capacity to startle audiences through its combination of memorable sequences and taut storytelling. Definitely worth repeated viewings.
What makes Terence Fisher's version so compelling is the way in which the story has been treated; for the late Fifties it is surprisingly explicit in the way it depicts Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) handling various body-parts - eyes, limbs - and at one point is shown sawing the head off the corpse that forms the basis of the monster (Christopher Lee). The principal female characters Elizabeth (Hazel Court) and the maid Justine (Valerie Gaunt) wear period costumes whose décollété leaves little or nothing to the imagination. The only concession to the more squeamish viewers that Fisher makes is to refrain from showing the Monster killing his various victims, notably Grandpa (Fred Johnson) in gory detail.
Cushing turns in a memorable characterization of the Baron - an enthusiastic scientist who has spent much of his life being spoiled. In early sequence, the Baron is shown as a young boy (played by Melvyn Hayes) running the house on his own - ordering the servants around, and engaging a tutor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) to teach him about life's basics. This independence, acquired at so early an age, has both positive and negative effects: the Baron learns to fend for himself, but at the same time proves reluctant to take advice - even when it is well-intentioned. The adult Baron becomes more and more committed to the project of creating the Monster, even if it means contravening the laws of Nature. Krempe tries his best to dissuade him, but the Baron takes no notice; on the contrary, he becomes quite frenzied in his efforts to finish his experiments. Cushing suggests this cleverly through a series of bird-like movements; his body taut, his hands flitting across the instruments and test-tubes that clutter his laboratory.
In the end the Baron gets his comeuppance, as he is sent to jail and hanged. But Fisher does not send him to his death without providing a memorable denouement, which does not exist in the source-text but emphasizes the extent to which the Baron's brilliant intelligence has been corrupted by his scientific work.
Although only just over eighty minutes long, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN still has the capacity to startle audiences through its combination of memorable sequences and taut storytelling. Definitely worth repeated viewings.