Awaiting his execution, Baron Victor Frankenstein discloses his tale to a chaplain. The chaplain was called, not for any religious comfort or absolution, because the Baron couldn't think of anyone who would have come if summoned. Victor confesses his involvement in dabbling where man was not supposed to dabble. Victor and his tutor, Paul, began experimenting with restoring life to dead animals. Frankenstein's thirst for knowledge, leads him to attempt creating man from spare body parts collected from the recently deceased. His ultimate goal being to give life to something which never lived. This quest of his gives way to him butting heads with his former mentor and completely losing himself to his obsession with creation. This leads to murder, a damaged brain and tragedy.
Hammer's first foray into gothic horror helped save the genre from the steady decline it was experiencing. Watching it now, nearly six decades after its original release, it's easy to see why. The Curse of Frankenstein is remarkable. It's a perfect storm of every filmmaking aspect. Fisher's assured direction, Sangster's exciting script, acting, set design and the overall mood. Peter Cushing plays the Baron perfectly. A man far too concerned with science to worry about the emotional side of being human. He can pretend for appearances but all that matters in the end is knowledge. Any other actor who lacked Cushing's class would have made the Baron contemptible. Christopher Lee's creature is excellent. With no dialogue, Lee's eyes speak volumes about the confusion and rage at work in his damaged mind. The lab sets are perfect, the scenery plays to the cold and creepy mood of the film and there are sprinkles of unexpected (and shocking for the time) gore. It all combines to produce a perfect horror film.
10/10
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