Terror of Frankenstein

Terror of Frankenstein
by Calvin Floyd

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• While still in medical school, Victor Frankenstein (Leon Vitali) becomes obsessed with the idea of creating life. Despite the ridicule of his peers, he conducts private experiments in the rejuvenation of dead tissue. Using bodies stolen from the morgue, he assembles a human cadaver and revives it with the electrical charge of lightning. Seeking revenge on its maker, the tormented creature begins a

Movie Reviews of Terror of Frankenstein

Movie Review: The Most Faithful Translation from Book to Screen
Summary: 5 Stars

Those familiar with Shelley's novel already know that it is an allegory that plays on many levels. On the surface, Dr. Frankenstein's blind obsession with learning to create life and the consequences of his success can be viewed as a cautionary tale, warning the self-important intellectual of the dangers of presuming upon the realm of God. On a deeper level, Frankenstein's rejection of his creation and the creature's consequent reaction is allegorical to the contention that often exists between father and son, especially when the father disapproves of the son's ideals or lifestyle. Deeper still, the creature's attempt to reconcile with his creator--at least to some degree--reflects the Biblical story of Mankind's original fall from grace and subsequent attempts to regain favor with God. In at least one of the introductions that she herself wrote for various printings of FRANKENSTEIN, Shelley suggests that all these themes are, to some extent, woven into the narrative of the novel. And unlike many other filmic interpretations, all three of these concepts are also at work on some level in TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN, making it an accurate thematic reflection of the original work.

TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN also reflects the novel's depiction of the creature as an intelligent and articulate being, which is very unlike the usual dumb, lumbering brute that most other filmic interpretations offer up. Not that the monster isn't ugly, because he is certainly that--a gruesome, rheumy, jaundiced-looking giant, much like Shelley described. But rather than simply a fright-inducing Hollywood gimmick, his ugliness symbolizes the chasm between a father and son or, in a Biblical sense, the Sin that caused God to oust Mankind from the Garden of Eden. (Though this combination of intelligence and physical ugliness was also a characteristic of Branagh's 1994 film, the make-up in TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN is much less flashy and pretentious. The creature's appearance serves the story, not the other way around.)

This film is a must-see for fans of the Frankenstein mythos, especially those devoted to the original novel. But the general filmgoing audience should also enjoy it, as the acting is fantastic (and in non-dubbed English, by the way) and the directing superb.

The DVD from Wellspring Media is basically a no-frills disc, the only extras being trailers. It offers the film in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and though the film does look like it has been digitally cleaned up--i.e., there are few (but some) scratches or dust artifacts--it has not been "restored." The color is sometimes off (e.g., there are times when the snow looks yellowish instead of white), and the shadows are generally not a deep, crisp black. However, the price is reasonable and the disc is still quite viewable, and being that this is a lesser-known foreign film, this is likely the best that will ever be offered.

Condensed review: Five-star movie, faithful to its source material; three-star DVD quality.

Summary of Terror of Frankenstein