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Frankenstein

Director: James Whale
Year: 1931
Run-time: 1 hr 11 min
Source: Amazon Video

Notable For: It's the most iconic adaptation of Mary Shelley's great novel (here she's unfortunately credited as Mrs. Percy Shelley) and the second and probably the most successful in Universal's series of monster movies from this period.  Boris Karloff's performance as the monster with a hint of humanity was compelling for audiences of the time, and the film was a huge commercial success.

Verdict:  It's not a bad film by any stretch, but it's not as interesting to me as Nosferatu before it, and not nearly as gripping as Shelley's novel.  One could say that there are "shades" to Karloff's character, but there are also silly artifices working against that notion, such as the scientist's use of a "criminal's brain".  A modern viewer isn't going to find much that's thrilling in Frankenstein - the most compelling aspect of the film to me is the set design, which borrows the style of German expressionism.  I'm a big fan of the castle at the beginning.  I also enjoyed Colin Clive's performance as the scientist who dares to match the abilities of God.  It's worth seeing for its many influences, but keep your expectations low.
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