A tragic story of fiendish moral complexity, the direction of Terence Fisher at the peak of his powers, exemplary Gothic atmosphere and a splendid ensemble of performers anchored by the great Peter Cushing in his most powerful turn as Frankenstein raise this movie to the pinnacle of Hammer horror.
The doctor's god complex drives the plot; this is a man who believes utterly in his infallibility, who practices murder and blackmail without blinking an eye. Into his clutches fall the two "innocents" played by Simon Ward and Veronica Carlson. But how innocent are they? And how innocent can they remain? This is a story of precipitous moral descent, utterly bleak, softened only by familiar genre trappings that reassure us this is "merely" a horror movie, "merely" an entertainment.
There is much discussion among fans about the rape scene. Supposedly producer James Carerras came up with the scene late in production with a glib comment about the movie needing more sex, and both actors objected to what they considered a gratuitous and distasteful scene. But whether he made the glib comment or not, I think Carerras's instincts were on target. The sexual trauma suffered by Carlson goes a long way to explaining why she impulsively stabs the harmless "monster" later; that act of violence seals her moral downfall; and Frankenstein's subsequent act of stabbing her reiterates his previous sexual penetration of her and marks his own moral nadir. He cannot sink lower.
Director Terence Fisher delivers flawless atmosphere and pacing. I'll comment on only one sequence, the eruption of the water main behind Carlson's house, which is carried out with Hitchcockian gusto, from the grotesque humor of the nosy, "helpful" neighbor at the back gate to the nightmarish image of a bedraggled, miserable Carlson stiffly gesturing to let Frankenstein know where the body is. It's unforgettable.
Aristotle said that great art evokes terror and pity. The terror here is obvious; the pathos is generated by Carlson, but also by Freddie Jones as the monster. His fate is tragic, but he, too, is far from innocent. Some complain that this is a Frankenstein movie without a monster, but when Frankenstein himself is a fiend, the monster must become the tragic hero. In this brilliant reversal of an oft-told tale, there can be only one outcome: Frankenstein must be destroyed.
The doctor's god complex drives the plot; this is a man who believes utterly in his infallibility, who practices murder and blackmail without blinking an eye. Into his clutches fall the two "innocents" played by Simon Ward and Veronica Carlson. But how innocent are they? And how innocent can they remain? This is a story of precipitous moral descent, utterly bleak, softened only by familiar genre trappings that reassure us this is "merely" a horror movie, "merely" an entertainment.
There is much discussion among fans about the rape scene. Supposedly producer James Carerras came up with the scene late in production with a glib comment about the movie needing more sex, and both actors objected to what they considered a gratuitous and distasteful scene. But whether he made the glib comment or not, I think Carerras's instincts were on target. The sexual trauma suffered by Carlson goes a long way to explaining why she impulsively stabs the harmless "monster" later; that act of violence seals her moral downfall; and Frankenstein's subsequent act of stabbing her reiterates his previous sexual penetration of her and marks his own moral nadir. He cannot sink lower.
Director Terence Fisher delivers flawless atmosphere and pacing. I'll comment on only one sequence, the eruption of the water main behind Carlson's house, which is carried out with Hitchcockian gusto, from the grotesque humor of the nosy, "helpful" neighbor at the back gate to the nightmarish image of a bedraggled, miserable Carlson stiffly gesturing to let Frankenstein know where the body is. It's unforgettable.
Aristotle said that great art evokes terror and pity. The terror here is obvious; the pathos is generated by Carlson, but also by Freddie Jones as the monster. His fate is tragic, but he, too, is far from innocent. Some complain that this is a Frankenstein movie without a monster, but when Frankenstein himself is a fiend, the monster must become the tragic hero. In this brilliant reversal of an oft-told tale, there can be only one outcome: Frankenstein must be destroyed.