Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is teaching at a medical school in the United States, when he is summoned to Transylvania to receive what has been willed to him by his great-grandfather Baron von Frankenstein. He insists that his name is pronounced Fronkonsteen, however, wanting to distance himself from the work of his grandfather, Victor Frankenstein ie. the doctor from the novel who reanimated dead tissue and created a monster in the process.
Leaving behind his beloved Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), he journeys to Transylvania, where he is greeted by Igor (the grandson of the Igor from the novel, played by Marty Feldman) and Inga (Teri Garr) who is to be his laboratory assistant.
The castle where he will be staying is overseen by Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman), a harsh woman whose name alone strikes fear into horses everywhere (watch the film, you’ll understand).
Despite his reluctance to accept his grandfather’s work as anything other than the ravings of a lunatic, Frederick finds himself following in his footsteps, and creating his very own monster. He had intended to give it the brain of a genius, but after Igor takes the wrong brain, he ends up with a dimwitted creature (Peter Boyle, you know, Ray’s father from Everybody Loves Raymond).
The film is shot in black-and-white, despite being released well after colour had made its way into film. However, black-and-white works well in this case, as I believe Mel Brooks was aiming for a particular aesthetic, that of the classic horror films of the mid-20th century, an aesthetic which he pulls off brilliantly here: this film really feels like it fits in with all the greats, while still having that unique Mel Brooks stamp on it.
The screenplay, written by Brooks and Wilder, is very clever for the most part. The dialogue is very well written, the script filled with the typical word-play humour one finds in a Mel Brooks script, while keeping true to the horror genre as well.
The score by John Morris is adequate. The underscoring of the opening titles is perhaps the most impressive piece of music in the film, the remainder of the score doing its job well enough, though it is nothing spectacular.
The cast all give their all to their performances, though. In particular, Gene Wilder is inspiring as a doctor who turns from reason to madness with an exceptional skill in his craft. This feels like a role he was born to play, as his particularly unique vocal stylings fit right in to this slightly unhinged character.
Marty Feldman also gives a great performance here. His comic timing, combined with his slightly odd appearance, make him the perfect choice of performer to play the role of Igor. But even Igor has his lucid, normal moments, and Feldman pulls these off with brilliance, too.
Again, the black-and-white film gives cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld the ideal environment in which to shine, which he does. His use of light and dark, highlight and shadow, is perfect for the horror aspects of the film, but is also used to comedic effect when necessary.
This film does have a lot going for it, even by today’s standards. The horror aspects are horrific enough, the comedy is funny enough. Unfortunately, I didn’t care much for the ending. I didn’t really feel like it ended in the best way it could, the script at this point feels a little forced and a little too contrived.
It may be one of Mel Brooks’s best films from the time period, but I don’t think it’s one of his best overall.
6 1/2 out of 10.
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