The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) **** [Frankenstein Double Feature Pt. 2]
Like its predecessor (review), a true classic (and in many ways its equal). There's no way that The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) would have turned out as good as it did if James Whale hadn't returned to direct and Boris Karloff and Colin Clive hadn't returned to star. BOF is one of the quintessential Universal Monsters movies.
BOF is a textbook example of how to do a sequel right—expand upon the characters (the Monster learns to speak, etc.), add new ones (Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Pretorius and Elsa Lanchester as the Bride) that are as interesting as the existing ones, and up the stakes. Revisiting moments and themes from a first film in a franchise, in a sequel, is always a tricky balancing act—it's been done so many times since that it feels rote by now, but here, in one of the earliest examples of that (maybe even the first?), it's exquisite.
Jack Pierce does sterling makeup work and prolific composer Franz Waxman’s score provides the perfect extra boost to accompany the onscreen drama. The balance of horror and humor is just right in BOF and the creation scene that concludes the picture is easily one of the most iconic 15 minutes of any film. The buildup to the reveal of the Bride—with its expressionistic closeups, the gothic/sci-fi set designs—all deep shadows and flashing lights, and the performances in those final moments—all legendary.
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