The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

First class movie making

Bride of Frankenstein is one, if not THE best, Universal horror movie made in their golden era of the 1930's. A direct sequel to Frankenstein, but in nearly every way a better movie. This is a much more artistic work. Sure there is still some hammy acting and the not so special effects are, by comparison to today laughable.

However, as a movie, this has many things that most modern horror films lack. The cinematography is marvellous. There are dozens of moments in the film where I wished I could have stopped the DVD and taken a copy of the image on the screen. No more so than near the end when the bride appears. The lighting in this scene combined with the photography produces a marvellous almost surreal effect. It also has a few moments of great pathos, most noteably when the monster meets the blind hermit. Here we do get some fine acting by Karloff (which is how he is credited in the film) and O.P.Heggie who plays the hermit.

So whilst this doesn't have the blood and guts of a modern horror film, you are getting something completely different, that for its time was a remarkable piece of filmmaking. Even today 73 years after it was made it is ranked in the top 250 films of all time on the IMDB database. August 20, 2008

Domestic dispute: Bride vs. Frankenstein

Can a sequel outdo the original? Audiences, critics, and (more importantly) many of my friends seem to think so. And they all have a solid case. The Bride of Frankenstein is a remarkable continuation of the previous masterpiece.

It opens with a haunting murder scene. The visual setup is completely electrifying. Karloff still has his commanding presence. The entire cast does an outstanding job. The script is rich, witty, and has some powerful subtext. There are some underlying jabs at religion and society at large. It points out the violent nature of man and his intolerance of things unfamiliar. How love is blind and cannot be forced. I think the emotional complexity is what truly makes this film special. Plus the scene where the Bride comes to life is very dynamic.

I'll admit though, I wasn't real keen on the humor thrown in with this story. The mini-people in the glass jars seemed out of place, at least for me. I also preferred the idea of the silent monster, it added a level of suspense.

Overall, this is a complete classic horror movie that stands alone. It's indicative of how man interacts and deals with adversity, which has a raw power. This is proof that sequels can be a good thing. But when it comes to comparing...

Frank spanks The Bride, haha July 23, 2008

An all time great horror classic

One of the best horror movies ever made. A much more human monster is seen here with Karloff making friends, smoking a cigar and even speaking. All the supporting performances are just right, especially Lanchester in the title role and Thesiger. The humor, both dark and otherwise, adds another layer to this classic. Director Whale was at his peak here and he had the story and the cast to present his masterpiece with. July 17, 2008

MY LOVE FOR THIS ONE NEVER ENDS IT HAS EVERYTHING

WHERE DO I START? THIS MOVIE JUST IS A LOVEABLE ENJOYABLE JOURNEY THAT PACKS IT ALL,ANYTIME I CAN CATCH THIS ONE I STOP AND DO JUST THAT BORIS WAS EXTREMELY JUST WONDERFUL!!!! AND THE BRIDE..MAN SHE PLAYED HER PART TO THE EXTREME AND THAT CRAZY DOCOTOR WASNT BAD HIMSELF, SOMEONE MENTIONED THE BRIDE,IT WAS BETTER BUT IT WAS A EXCELLENT REMAKE OF THIS ONE THAT DIDNT LOUSE UP ITS REPUTWA. July 6, 2008

The Only Monster Here is its Montrosity of Failure

They should have brought this sequel back to life instead of the bride, even though it is widely hailed as the superior installment in the Frankenstein canon. I was not expecting a comedy, but it was a huge disappointment, mostly due to the fact that Colin Clive's Dr. Frankenstein is portrayed as a weak and manipulated character, which is a surprise and real failure to this story. They ask too much of the audience - the monster goes from being mute to learning to speak to enjoying cigars and alcohol to conspiring with another mad scientist to blackmail Dr. F into creating a mate for the monster. It just doesn't make sense. Most ludicrous scene - lab sequence where Dr. Pretorius shows Dr. F his creations in the tiny jars. Most impressive scene - The Bride's groundbreaking appearance at the end of the film, brilliantly played by Elsa Lanchester, forever transcending through the history of cinema. Stick with the original, one of the best and most influential films in cinematic history. After the original, this film is barely watchable. Believe it or not, far superior films: Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974), Franc Roddam's The Bride (1985). April 15, 2008

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