Curse of Frankenstein is one of the great masterworks of horror cinema. It established Hammer Horror as a brand and made the screen light up bright red. It’s also a daunting film to write about. What can I possibly add to the discussion that hasn’t been said a thousand times before? Can I do it justice? Or do I risk angering a whole group of Hammer fans (they know their stuff)? Luckily the film can most speak for itself as a landmark in horror and as a great film. It now has a sublime new restoration and is put on a shiny disc from the good folks at Warner Archives. So I’ll do my best and duck if I see anyone throwing fruit at me. 

Curse of Frankenstein begins with Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) awaiting death by guillotine in a small prison for the murder of his maid. He is visited by a priest and recounts his life’s story. It starts with plenty of shocks as 15 year old Victor is now orphaned and left his family’s large estate and wealth. But the boy doesn’t seem to hurt over this tragedy. Instead, he uses his newly found money to hire a tutor named Paul (Robert Urquhart). As Victor grows into adulthood, he surpasses Paul’s knowledge and starts to become fascinated by the mysteries of life and death.

Victor and Paul finally make a breakthrough with their experiments when they bring a recently deceased puppy back to life. Paul thinks this is the discovery of the century, but Victor has more sinister plans. He wants to piece together a completely new body and give it life. Paul starts to realize that his former student is now going off the deep end. Before he can stop Victor and his mad new schemes, he becomes fixated on Victor’s new roommate and fiance to be, Elizabeth (Hazel Court). Things become more tricky when Victor’s creature (Christopher Lee) starts to come to life. 

Curse of Frankenstein was a shock to the system in 1957, and it’s power is still felt in 2021. Bursting at the seems as one of the first shockingly violent color horror films of the 1950s. It reinvented the genre overnight. I don’t agree with the common wisdom that the genre was dead. Sci-fi monsters are just as valid as vampires and werewolves, but it added a new layer of class and dread. 

The production was small and a huge endeavor for the smaller company of Hammer, who already had their hands full with threats of lawsuits from Universal. Universal held the domain for classic horror and they wanted to make sure their competition didn’t use any makeup similar to Jack Pierce’s iconic monster design. So by necessity Phil Leakey’s make up was more corpse like and haunting. Christopher Lee doesn’t have much time as the creature, but what little we do see is chilling. It’s such an unusual makeup that surprisingly hasn’t been copied by other films or even later Hammer productions. 

There are two significant differences between The 1931 James Whale film and this 1957 chiller is the period setting vs modern setting, and the focus on Frankenstein the man, not his creation. Thanks to the information packed audio commentary, I learned that almost none of the original screenplay by Milton Subotsky survived the new script by Hammer ace screenwriter Jimmy Sangster. Sangster script is all about The Baron and his cruel treatment to those around him and life itself. His open mockery of Faith and God. Victor Frankenstein is a completely different character than any previous adaptation of the Mary Shelly novel. With the first sequel, The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Baron becomes even more three dimensional and challenging. The script also placed the story in the past and strongly linked it to previous gothic traditions. It plays like a legend and a fable of dread. With these two differences, Hammer made gothic horror their own. 

Much of the film’s success comes from the masterful performance of Peter Cushing as the Baron. Cushing would soon become one of Hammer’s key players and a bona fide horror star. He is able to make a watchable baddie with pathos. The film also made a horror icon with Christopher Lee who gives the creature a tragic and mostly pathetic life. Lee would do even better with Hammer’s next hit, Dracula (1958, Horror of Dracula here in the States). Robert Urquhart gives a performance that grows on me with each viewing. His character of Paul is kind of the moral center of the film. But times he can come off as a wet blanket. But with this most recent viewing I see a complex man. Sadly Urquhart was not a big fan of the “gruesome” final film and didn’t become a staple of Hammer horror. It’s a true shame because I can see fitting into (and maybe even improving)  some of Hammer’s more unusual latter films. Hazel Court is a welcomed addition with plenty of subtle melodrama. One of the true queens of 50’s and 60’s horror cinema. 

Warner Archive’s two disc Blu-ray release is an essential addition to any horror fan’s collection. The handsome new transfer comes from the recent restoration and it’s a sight to see. The film is more elegant than ever and captures the feeling of Fall perfectly. The scene where Lee’s creature is walking through the woods before being shot in the eye is forever burned into my brain.  

This set comes with three different ways to see the movie. On disc one there is the 1.85:1 and 1.66:1 versions. There are a few minor differences between the two but the picture quality is stunning. There is plenty of vivid color and smooth blacks. There is barely any print damage for a movie of this vintage. There is even the natural film grain that looks wonderful on my TV setup. On disc two there is the 1.37:1 Open Matte version. It’s listed as an extra for fans of this film who love the look of it from older tv broadcasts and vhs releases. All three versions are free of any HDR issues and come from the recently done 4K scan. In terms of audio we get a 2.0 English DTS-HD Master Audio mono track that sounds wonderful with no hiss or pops. James Bernard’s score sounds larger than life. It’s sure to give some fans goosebumps. English subtitles are included.

In terms of extras we have

• An information packed and lively commentary by film historians Constantine Nasr and Steve Haberman. Nasr has been a influnceful element in these recent Hammer Blu-ray releases and he yet again doesn’t disappoint. Both Nasr and Haberman give a balanced commentary track that is loaded with invaluable research and fan love.
• Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein, and The Rebirth of the horror film, a featurette on the film’s impact by Little Shoppe of Horrors Publisher Richard Klemensen. It’s an interesting piece of history but lacks focus. Also a lot of his comments come off as unnecessary as talks down some films and says crap. I turned it off since I felt no connection to his attitude.
• Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition, is a piece by Sir Christopher Frayling on the roots of Gothic storytelling and how Curse uses them.
• Torrents of Lights: The Art of Jack Asher, is a lovely tribute to the man by cinematographer David J Miller (Veep)
• Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the sound of Hammer Horror, is a featurette on Bernard mark on Hammer’s output by Dark Knight Rises Composer Christopher Drake,
• The theatrical trailer.

Warner Archive’s Blu-ray of The Curse of Frankenstein is one of the best discs of 2020 and a welcomed addition to classic cinema fans. It’s wonderful. Check it out asap!

Director- Terrence Fisher

Cast- Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

Country of Origin- UK

Discs- 2

Distributor- Warner Archive

Reviewer- Tyler Miller