Pre Hays Code horror movies are usually fun in a twisted sort of way and nothing exemplifies this quite as much as the James Whale adaptation of H.G. Wells' story of science gone awry. There's a certain charm to the sort of ghoulish thrills they could include before the censorship guidelines of the day were introduced. Of course they're still the kind of shocks that are within the accepted limits of this period of cinema but the death toll is surprisingly high as Dr. Griffin runs amok, even if there's never any real violence on screen. It's all done with a dark and twisted sense of humour as he rants and raves about revenge and expresses his lust for power, calling people miserable fools every few minutes. There are many classic entries in the original Universal horror series, but this is best one. It may portray a human title character, but he's certainly the most monstrous.
The voice of Claude Rains as the eponymous man is one of the main reasons that this all so entertaining, so it's surprising to note that it was intended to be another Boris Karloff feature. While I'm curious to know what that would have been like, it's impossible to imagine a performance better than the one we now have. His maniacal laughter, his constant belittling threats and his obsession with making people suffer under his whims create a character far more threatening than anything else from this decade (except for perhaps those in Whale's own Old Dark House). Even fairly normal conversations quickly turn into megalomaniacal speeches, and his sadistic side is frequently brought out by minor events.
His payback on fellow chemist Kemp stands out in particular, not because of the act itself but the dialogue as he builds up to the murder. The combination of twisted lines and fabulous voice acting are a big part of why this all works and it's possible the results would have been very different without Griffin being so perfectly cast. Cowardice and betrayal are met with cold hearted vengeance that and after a long suspense sequence the results culminate with one of the earliest examples of my favourite trope - cars flying off cliffs and exploding without any obvious source of fire. There are bigger and less personal acts of murder in the story (including a whole train being derailed) and although these are also pretty unsettling it's the more personal death which leaves a lasting impact.
Of course the other big draw here is all the special effects sequences that plenty of wow factor to the proceedings, and a lot of it is still impressive now. Ironically for a film about someone who is invisible the impression it leaves is one of the first effects driven spectacle movies in the sound era. Seeing this in the same year as King Kong must have been something incredible. There are obviously a few moving objects attached to wires that are never convincing, but some of the more complicated invisibility shots and matte effects work really well. The first reveal as Griffin takes off his glasses and nose, and later when he's unwrapping the classic bandages in front of a mirror are really eye grabbing even if it's just for a few seconds.
Modern transfers show up all the rough edges just about everywhere else, but ultimately it's not a problem. Once he's had enough of meddling pub land ladies and starts to wreak havoc on the locals it's impossible to complain. Purely as a tale of meddling with the powers of science without any regard morality there's a lot to like. It also holds up as a suspense story and as a mixture of action and horror. It may lack the sort of creaky atmosphere from Frankenstein in some ways, but this is a different take on similar ideas. Instead of a sympathetic creature brought unwillingly into the world instead science has created a real monster who in some ways represents all the worst parts of human ambition. Without an innocent streak under the violence exterior it simply poses the question - what would you do if you couldn't be caught in the act?
Modern interpretations have often taken things to their logical extremes, and without the elements of period fantasy depicted here the results are usually far darker. Here they still include plenty of oddball side characters to keep things interesting, from the bumbling police to the hysterical inn in the opening. The results are unexpected, and in a time when the genre was associated with the truly sinister forces of evil this often feels more like a first venture into horror comedy. Unfortunately even James Whale can't avoid the typical romance found in these kind of stories there's another stilted love interest subplot. The suggests a link back to human compassion but feels out of place at times - particularly when there's so much death and mayhem.
It clashes with the nature of the title character when he's just a total lunatic for most of the film, and when he has to deliver trite romantic dialogue in the same maniac voice it feels a little forced. But this is a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things, and for its time this does what it set out to with stellar results. While other sci-fi and horror creatures have gone on to become more iconic (and probably more budget friendly) this is the major high point for the 1930s cycle. It's telling that the sequels never directly link back to this character and use a lot more comedy and romance - they couldn't stomach more of the sort of mayhem caused by the original Jack Griffin. But I guess that makes this tale all the more interesting, a uniquely dark and twisted story of course a genre essential.
4/5
