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The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Cinephile Sunday: Exquisite Combinations
In honor of the 200th anniversary of author Mary Shelley's conception of "Frankenstein," the first film in this season's Cinéphile Sundays.
Sunday, February 14th, 3:00 PM, Collins Cinema, Wellesley College
In honor of the 200th anniversary of author Mary Shelley’s conception of “Frankenstein,” the first film in this season’s Cinéphile Sundays series celebrates an elaboration on Shelley’s creative endeavor.
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) is the first sequel to the 1931 hit “Frankenstein.” It takes places immediately after the events of the first film, and is rooted in a subplot from the original story. In that subplot, Dr. Frankenstein has abandoned his plans to create life when his mentor, Dr. Pretorius, coerces him into constructing a mate for the monster. In the film, Elsa Lanchester plays the dual role of the Bride of Frankenstein and Mary Shelly, Colin Clive reprises his role as Dr. Frankenstein, and Ernest Thesiger plays Dr. Septimus Pretorius. Boris Karloff, acclaimed for his roles in horror films, stars in the role of Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster.
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The Bride of Frankenstein has become as acclaimed as the first movie in the series, one of the few sequels in the history of film to have ever equaled or bested its predecessor. It has been critically acclaimed as director James Whale’s masterpiece, and recognized as an icon in the genre of classic horror. The film represents a formative moment in the production and design of classic horror films. The makeup artists at Universal Studios spent extra time on the design of both the monster characters, adding scars and injuries to Frankenstein’s monster. Most well known, though, is the Bride of Frankenstein’s conical hairstyle with white lightning-trace streaks on each side, which was originally based on Egyptian queen Nefertiti.
Aesthetically and historically, the Bride of Frankenstein has become one of the best-known horror films of all time. This semester’s theme for Cinephile Sundays, “Exquisite Combinations,” comes from a quote in the preface to Frankenstein. “Exquisite Combinations,” in this strand of horror, draws out the fear that comes when organic evil combines with man-made creation.
