The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  The Bride of Frankenstein reunites James Whale, Colin Clive and Boris Karloff for a sequel that often overshadows its predecessor in popularity, especially when Halloween rolls around. The problem that I have with it is that it kind of ruins the first film in a way, which is a problem… More
  The Bride of Frankenstein reunites James Whale, Colin Clive and Boris Karloff for a sequel that often overshadows its predecessor in popularity, especially when Halloween rolls around. The problem that I have with it is that it kind of ruins the first film in a way, which is a problem most sequels seem to have. The monster being dead at the end of the first film only to be alive in the second one makes the impact of that film less satisfying. Karloff himself was also unhappy with the direction it took at times, citing that it was silly for the monster to be talking so much. The other problem that I have is that there's this enormous build-up for the final scene of seeing The Bride, only to be blown up in an explosion not long after. It's anti-climactic and doesn't give the film any real power. However, the scenes with the blind hermit, the visual effects and the overall style are very good and add to the story a bit more. It's just a shame that it puts a bit of a tarnish on the original after seeing it.

• Graham J

  
  A horror classic, though in my opinion lacks the cinematic beauty of the images in the first film.

• Melvin W

  
  Mary Shelley: It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.  "A Mate... For The Monster!" Bride of Frankenstein is known as a horror classic for good reason. I actually did like this sequel slightly more then the original… More
  Mary Shelley: It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.  "A Mate... For The Monster!" Bride of Frankenstein is known as a horror classic for good reason. I actually did like this sequel slightly more then the original Frankenstein, which I liked very much. Played today, this movie is silly at times, never scary and overall just a fun movie to watch. There's some scenes of brilliance such as Frankenstein with his blind friend or Frankenstein being bind to a log. It also has some instances where it just goes over the top in silliness. The worst of this comes from the old woman. She has to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever watched. Boris Karloff reprises his famous role of The Monster. Once again he does a really good job. He even gets to talk in this one. The movie picks up after the first with The Monster surviving a fire and going on a killing spree(although it looks to me like he just knocks some people down, but I'm told he kills them. So I guess I just have to believe he killed them).  This is a must see for horror and film fans alike. It's got everything that makes the old, old horror films great. The terrific atmosphere that the black and white color and bad sound create. An iconic actor, in this case that would be Boris Karloff. And a quick runtime that really doesn't waste anytime jumping right into plot. The start of this movie is awesome too, with a cool sequence involving the writing of the book.

• danny d

  
  although many feel that this sequel is superior to the original, i find it just slightly inferior due to some silliness in the beginning and a continuity flaw. having said that, this is still an excellent film that continues the philosophical inquiries of the first and capitalizes on… More
  although many feel that this sequel is superior to the original, i find it just slightly inferior due to some silliness in the beginning and a continuity flaw. having said that, this is still an excellent film that continues the philosophical inquiries of the first and capitalizes on more iconic imagery. the way that the monster is established as a sympathetic character, leaving the viewer to root for him while knowing that he has to be stopped, is a difficult thing to do in storytelling, but this film develops such plot lines flawlessly.

• AJ V

  
  This is a great old horror movie, great special effects, story, etc.

• David L

  
  Here we have a movie that is timeless and iconic on the level of Citizen Kane or the Godfather. A movie that is not only outstanding but is a staple of the American motion picture business. If we didn't have the prejudice toward the horror genre it would be on every critics list… More
  Here we have a movie that is timeless and iconic on the level of Citizen Kane or the Godfather. A movie that is not only outstanding but is a staple of the American motion picture business. If we didn't have the prejudice toward the horror genre it would be on every critics list of greatest achievements in film. It is one of the few movies that deserves the all too often thrown around title of masterpiece. You can't praise James Whales' Bride of Frankenstein enough. Bride of Frankenstein is a movie where everything connects together perfectly. The cast, the direction, and the set design are perfect. If there is one film that rises Karloff above your typical bogeyman and cements him as one of the all time greats it would be Bride of Frankenstein. His "monster" is one of the most tragic characters in cinema. Karloff objected to giving the monster dialogue but his objections were ill founded, his performance here is Academy Award worthy. The Monsters dialogue gives insight into a dark and desperately lonely soul. He isn't very articulate in his speech but it's more effective that he isn't. His simple speech offers glimpses into a variety of human emotions and how they can effect anyone. The monster make-up works very well with Karloff's face and his facial expressions are outstanding as well. The scene where tears sprout from the Monster's scarred face is heartbreaking. This creature is anything but a monster, he is someone who longs to be understood and loved. Ernest Thesiger is a show stealer as the villainous Pretorius. He lacks any morality whatsoever and is the personification of the devious side of ambition. Thesiger's Pretorius is the most effective deliver of the movie's dark humor. He delivers the lines in a very dry way. You can't help but let out a devilish smirk with Pretorius as he gives the iconic line "To a new world of Gods and Monsters" Colin Clive is sad to watch in this film. You can tell he is in pain both physically and mentally. He doesn't seem to be as alert in the delivery of his lines and his face shows signs of his alcoholism. That being said his performance is all the more admirable considering his hardships. Elsa Lanchester gives a brief but iconic performance as the Bride. Jack Pierce deserves credit for another job well done, she looks nothing like her attractive counterpart Mary Shelley in the film's introduction. Bride of Frankenstein has been called the essential film to look at when you want to see a director's personality. Well if this is true James Whale would have been someone I would have liked to have had a chat with. The movie is so bizarre and so different from the other pictures of the 30's. I wasn't a huge fan of the Ian McKellan bio Gods and Monsters simply because I felt it did Whale a great injustice by trying to over simplify Whale by saying he was a non-conformist homosexual in a conservative society. Whale was much more than that, he was clever, witty and one of the greatest directors of all time.

• Chris W

  
  This was director James Whale's last horror film. It was horror then, but not really the case now. It's more funny and moving than scary. It's one of the few sequels to actually be better than the original. The narrative structure and overall direction are different,… More
  This was director James Whale's last horror film. It was horror then, but not really the case now. It's more funny and moving than scary. It's one of the few sequels to actually be better than the original. The narrative structure and overall direction are different, and contain more stuff from the novel. The way Karloff looks here isn't as iconic as in the first film, but he still does a great job. As the titular character, Lanchester is quite striking and memorable, but unfortunately her screen time could be longer, as could the whole movie. I really liked this-it's lots of fun, and, like the first one, the art direction and set design are phenomenal.

• Conner R

  
  While it is nowhere close to the level of perfection that the first, it is a great addition the series. I could have done without some of the cheesy elements, tiny people, it is still enjoyable and intelligent. My big complaint was the retconning of events and characters/actors from… More
  While it is nowhere close to the level of perfection that the first, it is a great addition the series. I could have done without some of the cheesy elements, tiny people, it is still enjoyable and intelligent. My big complaint was the retconning of events and characters/actors from the first. It was both confusing and highly unnecessary. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff are the heart and soul of the film, they make it a classic.

• Stella D

  
  a rare sequel better than the original. dr. pretorious steals the show

• Chris G

  
  One of the first true sequels and the first sequel that is superior to the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein picks up right where the original film leaves off. The monster (again played by Boris Karloff) is not dead and is still terrorizing the village as Dr. Frankenstein… More
  One of the first true sequels and the first sequel that is superior to the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein picks up right where the original film leaves off. The monster (again played by Boris Karloff) is not dead and is still terrorizing the village as Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive returning) recovers from his fall from the windmill. His rest is short lived as Dr. Pretorious (played with relish by Ernest Thesiger) approaches Frankenstein about merging his creation experiments with his own and creating a mate for his monster. James Whale returns to direct and once again gives us an amazing array of sights to behold (including Pretorius's experiments). Karloff gets to speak in this one and gives us one of the best lines in film history as his monster becomes even more sympathetic than in the last film. A great achievement with a story that not only builds on the original, but expands it into new territory. A classic horror picture.

• Veronique K

  
  "bride of frankenstein" is one of the rare cases in cinema that the sequel indisputedly surpasses the original. naturally lots have been remarked upon the brilliance of james whale. unawared by most, "bride of frankenstein" also extends the homoeroticism from… More
  "bride of frankenstein" is one of the rare cases in cinema that the sequel indisputedly surpasses the original. naturally lots have been remarked upon the brilliance of james whale. unawared by most, "bride of frankenstein" also extends the homoeroticism from its precessor on the character dr. pretorius who utters the legendary line "to the new world of gods and monsters" while he flaunts his little men in the jars (strangely it provoked the japanese ban then due to its mockery toward the royalty.) the mostly apparent scene would be dr. pretorius intrudes dr. frankenstein's bedroom in spite of the maid's warning in his fiancee's presence, discussing the course of "creating life" with insistence on excluding her. (an "intercourse" with discrimination toward the woman) it's a impudent poise on the caricature of elder anemic homosexual, admitted by whale himself. and the most heterosexual character with masculinity would probably be the monster who is eager to have a female mate (compared with the deviant pretorius and the wimpish frankenstein), demonstrating his enormous interests toward the creature called "woman". but the monster's friendly lovemaking is rebuffed abruptly as whale's ruthless disdain for heterosexuality as well as the pride of his own orientation. but wouldn't be it another suggestive tone of homosexual identification with woman since frankenstein and pretorius are ardent to create a female being (a pursuit of feminity?). they might be my crude speculations. un-noticed by most, the actress who plays frankenstein's fiancee is substituted with valerie hobson instead of mae clarke in the original since mae clarke is forgotten or dismissed as the grapefruit lady in "public enemy". and it is wonderful opportunity for una o'connor to showcase her comic flair as the screaming maid whose neurotic nerves borders on annoyance.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Although more funny than scary, this has to be one of the best sequels ever done. James Whale's narration is lyrical and stylish, the settings evoke gothic mystique and Boris Karloff perfectly embodies the tall walking corpse, who embarks on a murderous rampage after the events… More
  Although more funny than scary, this has to be one of the best sequels ever done. James Whale's narration is lyrical and stylish, the settings evoke gothic mystique and Boris Karloff perfectly embodies the tall walking corpse, who embarks on a murderous rampage after the events of the first film, only to find at the end that even he has a heart. excellent horror/black comedy universal classic.

• Emily A

  
  This one lacked the freshness of its predecessor, but it is in all other ways competant. Everyone who made the original great are back, but I think this one suffers a little in its attempt to up the ante. Otherwise this one is really beautiful and entertaining.

• Cassandra M

  
  Forget 'The Godfather II'. Forget 'The Empire Strikes Back'. This is THE greatest example of a sequel surpassing the original. Coming four years after the original 'frankenstein' in 1931, James Whale was originally reluctant to make a sequal but changed… More
  Forget 'The Godfather II'. Forget 'The Empire Strikes Back'. This is THE greatest example of a sequel surpassing the original. Coming four years after the original 'frankenstein' in 1931, James Whale was originally reluctant to make a sequal but changed his mind after being allowed to make the film more on his own terms. No other director has ever managed to blend horror, comedy and pathos as successfully Whale. The film features some of the most memorable scenes in cinema history notably the monster's encounter with a lonely hermit and the introduction of 'The Bride'. The film has it all: superb casting, tremendous sets and make up, memorable dialogue ("To a new world of Gods and monsters") and a brilliant score by Franz Waxman. Boris Karloff must surely be one of the greatest actors to ever appear on film. He manages to improve on his characterisation of the Monster, due mainly to the addition of dialogue ("Friends, good!"), and, unlike in the first movie, actually makes us feel sorry for the Monster. Colin Clive returns as the reluctant Doctor F, Una O'Connor makes a wonderful addition as the twittering and hysterical Minnie, but it is Ernest Thesiger who steals the film with his hillarious performance ("Have a cigar. They are my only weakness") as the sinister Dr. Pretorious. Although Elsa Lanchester appears as the Bride for only about 2 minutes at the film's finale, it will be the role for which she is forever associated. The film is regarded as the high point of the Universal horror series and stands as a testament to the genius of James Whale

• moon r

  
  maybe better than the first one, eh?

• Dr Blood  

  
  This is an absolute classic of Universal Horror filmaking. Everything is done right. The acting is typical of the time but if you are a fan of the genre, as most of us are, it doesn't detract at all from the emotions raised by the story.

• Drew S

  
  A movie that's over 70 years old and still manages to make itself known must be truly great on some level. The Bride of Frankenstein is one of those films - though it indubitably has its failings, it is an aesthetic masterpiece and a thought-provoking human parable. My problem… More
  A movie that's over 70 years old and still manages to make itself known must be truly great on some level. The Bride of Frankenstein is one of those films - though it indubitably has its failings, it is an aesthetic masterpiece and a thought-provoking human parable. My problem is that nearly every film made before the 1960s is so melodramatic that it's hard to take them seriously. The Bride of Frankenstein is a good example; overacting is the name of the game here. I would hesitate to call The Bride of Frankenstein a masterpiece, because for what it's worth it's just a 70-year-old potboiler...but it's really great at what it does.

• Michael G

  
  Better than the original Frankenstein, but also paved the way for the crappy monster movie.

• Byron B

  
  I went back and forth in my mind about whether I thought this sequel was really better than the original. It is a tough decision. Whale was given a bigger budget, but why does that automatically mean a picture is better. There are many excellent scenes, performances, and sets in this… More
  I went back and forth in my mind about whether I thought this sequel was really better than the original. It is a tough decision. Whale was given a bigger budget, but why does that automatically mean a picture is better. There are many excellent scenes, performances, and sets in this classic, however there are also some elements that made it fall short of all the hype. This is still a very good movie, but I'm going to make the stand with a minority of film buffs and say that I think the original is just a bit better. It is an interesting concept to begin with Byron and the Shelleys (with Elsa Lanchester putting in a demure appearance as Mary) speaking of the story she created. We revisit some images from the first Frankenstein picture and pick up exactly where that movie left off, at the burning ruins of the windmill. Belmore hasn't returned as the burgomaster in this one, which he must regret later. I am not a fan of Una O'Connor in these horror pictures. Right off the bat she began to grate on my nerves and I didn't find her very funny. Thankfully the creature (Karloff again) makes his appearance quickly, now burned and dirty from the collapsing windmill. Colin Clive has returned as Dr. Frankenstein who at first is thought to be dead. We return with some of the villagers to Frankenstein's castle where the camera movement shows more grandeur and set decorations filling the spacious rooms. Valerie Hobson has taken over the role of Frankenstein's fiance Elizabeth and I don't like her performance much at all. The creature starts roaming the countryside where everyone he encounters runs screaming or attacks him. As Frankenstein recovers and wedding plans are renewed the drama is slow and over done. If this portion was not inter cut with the monster out wandering in the woods, I would have completely lost interest. It is a great sequence when the creature meets the blind hermit, gains a friend, and learns to speak. Since Mary Shelley's subtitle to her book was Or The Modern Prometheus, I found the argument between the creature and the hermit about the positive or negative quality of fire to be very clever. Pretorius (Thesiger), while he is a more energetic and mad influence on Frankenstein than Waldman, is a campy character who takes the mad scientist to unbelievably shocking new levels. The little people Pretorius grows in jars came at me from left field. I was not expecting that to be part of the Frankenstein story. It is darkly funny as Pretorius shows off and the scene incorporates good special effects. It has very little to do with the rest of the movie though, so why does stuff like this nonetheless give the sequel higher status? Dwight Frye appears again, but as Karl, one of two murderers that Pretorius enlists as his grave robbing assistants. The monster who has lost his only friend and been chased by the angry mob again meets Pretorius, thinks he is a new friend and acts as the muscle in Pretorius' scheme. Karloff is still amazing in the subtle way he is able to elicit sympathy for this monstrous looking creation. Lanchester finally appears way too briefly as the Bride, which she patterned after a goose. Though Frankenstein's laboratory is now full of bigger apparatus and more electric sparks, I found myself wondering again why this makes it better. The off-kilter camera angles and use of flashing shadows lead to a more active laboratory scene, but it all builds up to such an abrupt end. We feel for the loneliness of the creature, it is true, but I didn't think the title character would be so underwhelming.

• Eduardo T

  
  Classic horror is the best. This had a great plot. The plot was also told in a good manner, even thought it has a short time length. It was beautifully paced. I just wish that the film was longer. There are many extra scenes that they could have added. The writing was also good and… More
  Classic horror is the best. This had a great plot. The plot was also told in a good manner, even thought it has a short time length. It was beautifully paced. I just wish that the film was longer. There are many extra scenes that they could have added. The writing was also good and funny. Yes, their was dialogue that was just hilarious. This is a classic horror film so it's not really scary but back then it must have been a nightmare. That was some nice makeup on Frankenstein and his bride. Why didn't the bride get more screen time? They should have also made this a romance. Romantic horror, you don't see that every day. If you like classic horror films then you should watch this.

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