The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)- First Colour Horror Film
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Rating:
- Raoul = 6 / 10;
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Synopsis:
After inheriting from the family fortune, young Baron Frankenstein decides to dedicate his life to becoming a great scientist. Helped by his tutor Paul, he will uncover the secret of bringing life to dead pets and much more.
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Review:
The Curse of Frankenstein is the Hammer Production’s first interpretation of the Frankenstein story (inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel of the same name) and, due to its enormous success, the beginning of a long series of sequels. This also the first success of famous horror director Terence Fisher, who will be directing most of the Hammer’s later successes. Interestingly, it also happens to be the Hammer’s first colored horror films.
The story here is quite different from the original Frankenstein from the Universal. It is centered more around Dr. Frankenstein rather than on the creature, which makes the film a bit more psychological than its predecessor. The question of scientific ethics has always been central to the Frankenstein franchise, but here it is especially present and account for a large part of the film.
The Curse of Frankenstein is praised by many as a cult film. I do agree that it is a great film and the acting by Peter Cushing is especially outstanding and the psychological aspect of the dialogues quite complex. Even the special effects (well, let’s call it the “make-up”) are great…in the way old make-ups are. But overall, I think the movie has grown a little old and I do not think it stand the comparison with the early Universal’s Frankenstein. Modern viewers and those, like me, born way after the Hammer era will probably agree with me on that.
Still, I would advise horror fans to watch it for two reasons. It is a good film with a good story and secondly, it is a classic of the Hammer Productions which gives a good idea of what classics from the ’50s are like.
