Victor Frankenstein

Forget the hype about MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN (1993) and FRANKENSTEIN THE TRUE STORY (1974) being the most faithful versions. This neglected Swedish-Irish co-production is still the only movie that's a sincere attempt to accurately portray the characters, events and prevailing mood of Mary Shelley's novel. In fact, it's a lot closer to the original story than any of the other movie versions. Victor Frankenstein (the perfectly cast Leon Vitali) is presented as an intense, moody, headstrong, somewhat neurotic medical student whose tunnel-visioned sense of righteousness is shattered when he sees his Monster awaken for the first time and suddenly feels only horror. As in the book, Victor is completely unable to face the consequences of his experiment, trying at first to convince himself that he must have dreamed the whole thing and then simply running away from it all and pretending nothing ever happened. It isn't that easy for the Monster (Per Oscarsson), who is also much nearer to Shelley's concept of the character than in most movies. Instead of a growling robotic killer, Oscarsson's Monster is an accurate portrayal of the confused, desperate and reasonably intelligent creature described in the novel. He only becomes a hateful, bitter, resentful fiend after he's had plenty of time to think about who and what he is. Oscarsson is one of the best Frankenstein Monsters in movie history in terms of performance, but he has to work hard to overcome the entry-level monster makeup he wears. There are no bloody stitches, neck bolts or misshapen features here, and one wishes they had made his appearance a little more monstrous. His main physical shortcomings are black lips, red-rimmed eyes and a sallow complexion, making it seem more likely that the 'normal' people he meets would view him as a sick person in need of medical attention instead of reacting with fear and total revulsion when they see him. We learn almost nothing of the nature of Frankenstein's experiments in this telling, which eschews most of the medical/surgical/electrical details common in movies. Again, that's following the original text's example, as very little in the way of scientific detail was discussed in the book. About the only element of the Monster's creation that will be familiar to movie audiences is the fact that Frankenstein uses a kite to attract a bolt of lightning to infuse his creation with life. The creation scene, usually the highpoint of Frankenstein movies, is handled in a strangely offhand, nonchalant manner here. It's mostly offscreen and happens very quickly with hardly any buildup. Many passages have very little dialogue and even background music is used sparingly, creating an oddly sedate atmosphere. The period setting and scenery are superb and help to ensure that even the slow parts are watchable. Many of the indoor scenes have a nicely spooky, dramatically shadowy lighting scheme, one of this (very literal) film's few concessions to gothic horror tradition. Don't expect pulse-pounding action or spectacular visual effects, but if you'd like to experience a thoughtful, authentic looking, well-acted version of the classic tale that faithfully follows the source material and treats it respectfully, this is definitely worth watching. It's also known as VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN and it was released in the U. S. by Independent-International, even though it's a far cry from their usual horror fare (BRAIN OF BLOOD, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN, HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS, etc.).

Though it's been a number of years since I've seen this movie, it still leaves an impression as the best and most faithful adaption of Mary Shelley's wonderful book. The two leads were very well cast. It's a shame no one else I know has seen it. This film is way better than Branagh's "rock and roll" version (even though DeNiro was great as the monster).

I had always been intrigued by this Swedish-Irish production(!) - a follow-up to the same film-makers' lackluster IN SEARCH OF Dracula (1975) - for being the screen's most faithful rendering (even more so than the disappointing "official" 1994 adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola and Kenneth Branagh) of the oft-filmed Mary Shelley horror tale; while it is decidedly uninspired and choppy in treatment, its essentially literate and stately approach makes the most of the novel's classical plot and, as a result, it remains full of interest throughout. At first, I felt that Leon Vitali – who, after appearing in BARRY LYNDON (1975), became Stanley Kubrick's long-time assistant! – was too youthful in appearance to be convincing in the title role but one must remember that, after all, he was supposed to be a medical student. On the other hand, distinguished Swedish actor Per Oscarsson (whose face is effectively made up in a deathly pallor complete with darkened lips) brings out all of the creature's various qualities: an imposing build, his confusion and solitude and, eventually, a lust for vengeance towards his resentful maker. Though obviously a low-budget effort, the film still manages to approximate the narrative's epic sweep without, however, resorting to overstatement – a fault which lies at the heart of the later 'definitive' Hollywood version's artistic (and commercial) failure. For the record, even though I am familiar with many another film version of the famous story, there are still a few more which I need to see, namely the 1973 Dan Curtis TV-adaptation, the darkly-comic modern French take of Alain Jessua's FRANKENSTEIN '90 (1984) and the futuristic Roger Corman version, FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND (1990).

TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (1975) * (D: Calvin Floyd) - aka VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN; a faithful adaption of the original novel which defies you to stay awake. The monster is decidedly quite non-monstrous. Excruciatingly boring.

Greetings and salutations, and welcome to my review of 1977s Terror Of Frankenstein.

Before I get into the review, here are my ratings for the movie.

The story gets 1.5 out of 2: The Direction a 1.5: The Pacing receives a 1.5: While the Performances get 1.5: And my Enjoyment level earns a 1.5 out of 2: Terror Of Frankenstein, therefore, receives a total of 7.5 out of 10.

To begin with, I'm getting controversial: Terror Of Frankenstein is one of my favourite adaptations of the Mary Shelley story. I can see I may be in the minority here on IMDb. Consequently, can I back up my statement? Well, let's see.

Writers, Calvin and Yvonne Floyd stay true to Shelley's classic in story, motivation, and atmosphere. There's a very tangible dark and depressing feel to this creation. I appreciate the way we comprehend nothing about Frankenstein's monster. In previous adaptations, the scriptwriters give reasons for the reanimated man's evilness. But here, the Floyd's don't offer any reason because there is no evident reason. In all truth, he sees himself as a monster because the people around him regard him as such. When in all actuality, he's a newborn man struggling to grow and learn. His creator Frankenstein is a coward and runs from his creation, hoping he's dead or just a fever dream. Driven by a deep and unearthly urge, his creation travels through the county, country, and the world, searching for his master. What he uncovers is a man with a family who loves him and who he loves back. Why can't the man who fathered him offer him similar consideration? When he realises this will never happen, he strikes a deal with Frankenstein; construct a woman for him, and they will live out their days away from humankind. Regrettably, Frankenstein reneges on his deal. Leaving his creation to adopt the attitude of, if you want a monster, then you get a monster. So begin the slaughters.

Calvin Floyd also directed this film and maintained the boundaries of his emotional story. Terror of Frankenstein is not a fast and glorified and pretty Hollywood picture. Floyd sets the pace to slow and moody, which works well to reveal the creature at his best. He throws in some wintry vistas that depict the loneliness and desolation, not only of the surrounding area but of Frankenstein and his creation.

There are times when the tempo picks up a little; these are principally around the action sequences. Regrettably, they don't add much excitement. It's a pleasing aspect of the tale because it's not about excitation but the characters and their journeys. Floyd is a dab hand at using natural lighting and dark shadows to their best advantage. The effect of the lighting doubles due to his composition skill. Terror of Frankenstein is a perfectly constructed piece of filmmaking, and Floyd should be rightly proud of it.

The lack of special effects may cause people to place this film on ice. But remember, this isn't an FX-flick. The creature himself is nothing but Per Oscarsson in whiteish make-up and a slightly droopy eye. This creation is a reanimated corpse and not a cross-stitched mess of body parts with a damaged brain. It's Oscarsson who has to develop the audience's belief in the creations persona. He achieves this superbly. He gives the creature an air of melancholy, sadness, loss, and loneliness. I perceived myself supporting him more than Frankenstein.

Leon Vitali portrays Frankenstein and delivers a decent rendition of the driven genius. You can see Frankenstein considers interests most beneficial to humanity. Regrettably, it's his drive that takes his final experiment too far. Realising his mistake, he runs away like a coward, only to later find his backbone and hunt down his creation. Vitali portrays all these emotions superbly.

I would gladly recommend this version of Mary Shelley's story for everyone to watch. You have to bear in mind that the film is slow. The leisurely pace may not be for everyone: There's no bare-chested star swinging through the rafters, which isn't a terrible thing to do without. I have watched my share of boring films, and this is not one of them. Not once did my attention shift from the screen. Granted, there are some thing's that could have been handled better, like Frankenstein and Elizabeth's romance, which needed more romance. And a few scenes needed more suspense to work perfectly. These moments are few, though.

Take Care & Stay Well.

Jump on your dog sledge and mush your way on over to my Absolute Horror, The Final Frontier, and Obsidian Dreams lists to see where Frankenstein's creation caught up with his creator.