Bride of Frankenstein is a classic monster movie that came out in 1935. It’s a direct follow-up to the first Frankenstein film from 1931. The director of Bride of Frankenstein was James Whale, who also directed the first movie. Whale was known for making films that were not just scary but also had interesting characters and a touch of dark humor. He wasn’t sure he wanted to make a sequel at first, but the studio convinced him.
The movie starts right where the 1931 film ended. We see that Dr. Henry Frankenstein, who created the Monster, is still alive, even though he was badly hurt. And the Monster, who everyone thought had died, is also shown to have survived. The very beginning of the film features a scene with Mary Shelley, the writer who wrote the original Frankenstein book, talking with her friends Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron on a stormy night. Mary tells them that her story about Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster is not over yet.
The main characters from the first movie are back. Colin Clive plays Dr. Henry Frankenstein again. He is recovering from his injuries but still seems driven by his scientific ambitions, even though his creation caused so much trouble. Boris Karloff returns as the Monster. In this movie, the Monster is not just a grunting creature; he starts to learn and even speaks a few words. Karloff wore the famous heavy makeup designed by Jack Pierce, which gave the Monster his iconic flat-headed look.
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A very important new character is introduced: Dr. Pretorius, played by Ernest Thesiger. Dr. Pretorius is another scientist, but he is much older and more strange than Henry Frankenstein. He is interested in creating life too, but his methods and ideas are even more unsettling. Pretorius is eccentric and has a rather sinister way about him.
Dr. Pretorius visits Henry Frankenstein and reveals that he has also been experimenting with creating life. He shows Henry several tiny, human-like figures he has grown in glass jars, like little homunculi (which means miniature humans). Pretorius has a bold and disturbing plan: he wants to create a female companion for the lonely Monster.
Pretorius knows that Henry Frankenstein was successful in bringing his creature to life, and he wants Henry’s help to create the female monster. Henry is hesitant; he feels guilty about the destruction the first Monster caused. But Pretorius is manipulative and blackmails Henry, using things from Henry’s past to force him to agree to help with this new, dangerous experiment.
So, the two scientists begin the process of building the female monster. Like in the first movie, this involves gathering body parts, working in a laboratory filled with strange equipment, and waiting for the right conditions. The creation happens during a powerful lightning storm, using the electricity from the sky to give life to the constructed body. The scene where the Bride is brought to life is one of the most famous in the movie, with crackling electricity and dramatic music.
The female monster, who becomes known as the Bride, is played by Elsa Lanchester. Her look is truly unique and unforgettable. She has a striking appearance with a tall, wild hairstyle that has white streaks, making it look like lightning has gone through it. Her movements are jerky and unnatural, like the Monster’s, because her body is newly assembled. Elsa Lanchester also played the role of Mary Shelley in the opening scene, adding another layer to the film.
The story also follows the Monster on his own journey. After surviving, he wanders through the countryside. He encounters people who are scared of him and try to hurt him, which reinforces his loneliness. A particularly memorable and touching scene is when the Monster finds a blind hermit living in a small cabin. The hermit is not afraid because he cannot see the Monster’s appearance. He treats the Monster with kindness, teaches him a few words like “Friend” and “Alone,” and shares food with him. This is the first time the Monster experiences acceptance and kindness, showing his deep desire for companionship. However, this happy time doesn’t last, as villagers soon discover the Monster and chase him away from the hermit’s cabin.
Driven by his loneliness and the pain of rejection, the Monster asks Dr. Pretorius and Dr. Frankenstein to create a female companion for him. He hopes this female creature will understand him and be his friend.
The creation of the Bride is a central event in the movie. When she is finally brought to life, she is terrifying and beautiful in a strange way. But when she sees the Monster, her potential mate, her reaction is not one of acceptance. She screams in fear and rejects him, just like the humans have done. This rejection is devastating for the Monster, who longed for someone like himself.
The movie blends different feelings. It has moments of genuine horror and suspense, especially with the creation scenes and the Monster’s sometimes destructive actions. But it also has dark humor, largely through the character of Dr. Pretorius, who is both amusingly strange and truly sinister. There is also a lot of sadness and tragedy, focusing on the Monster’s pain and loneliness and the terrible consequences of the scientists’ experiments.
