The last great Universal monster movie and representing the close of the 1930s golden age of horror films, "Son of Frankenstein" is an interesting deviation from its predecessors helmed by James Whale. A largely new cast and crew takes over this one, with the main exception being Boris Karloff in his last performance as the monster. Contrary to some claims, I think the classic horror films tend to have very little to do with Expressionism and usually don't owe much more to Weimar cinema and other Germanic traditions. Even the Gothic literary origins are quite British and Irish. "Son of Frankenstein" is an exception--with a production design seemingly inspired by a truly Expressionist film, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), and a narrative with roots in French and German medieval fairy tales.
Similar to the doubling theme of "Bride of Frankenstein," the title "Son of Frankenstein" appropriately has a triple meaning: for the son Wolf von Frankenstein of the Henry Frankenstein of the first two films, who returns to his father's castle and his father's experiments; for Wolf's son Peter, who befriends the monster he calls a "giant;" and for the monster, who like Wolf, was the product of Henry's creation and has since assumed the Frankenstein name in many people's minds--within the film and without for many of us viewers.
From the opening train ride, with dead trees seen throughout the landscape outside the window, "Son of Frankenstein" is visually expressionistic. Although unlike his father, Wolf doesn't employ lightning in his reanimation of the creature, a lightning storm is prominently featured during the Frankenstein's arrival to the castle, which is also sometimes framed through a window. The castle itself looks like a cross between "Caligari" and a medieval horror story, with gargoyles staring down the dining table, and secret passages throughout, as well as strangely-curved staircases and pathways and angled beds and architecture. The lighting schemes seem to have taken the painted shadows right off the sets of "Caligari." And the Inspector takes a page from the mad scientist of "Metropolis" (1927) with his artificial limb. To top off the art direction--and screaming Chekhov's Gun--a sulphur pit is introduced, with origins traced back to Ancient Rome, but unmentioned in the first two Frankenstein films. Meanwhile, the fairy tale connection is made explicitly self-referential with Peter's giving of a picture book to the "giant." The monster's outfit this outing is also less modern and more befitting a medieval ogre--a comparison made more complete with his murdering men, stealing children, waving the Inspector's arm about like a club and his scientifically-proved super-human strength. (In a laboratory more sparse in electric gizmos than the prior films, Wolf, instead, employs the traditional medical equipment of an x-ray and a microscope, as well as electrically charging the creature like a battery.)
Although "Son of Frankenstein" largely ignores "Bride of Frankenstein" in favor of referencing the 1931 original, including the "super violet ray" and criminal brain stuff, and although James Whale wasn't involved, it's still rather homoerotic and open to a queer reading. That's probably unavoidable, to an extent, with a tale that has marginalized women since Shelley conceived it and, instead, focuses on male bonding, as well as male birthing, and the contests between men to dominate each other. In that respect, and understanding homosexuality as being ostracized back then, the secrecy of the film's male characters may take on another meaning, with Ygor's hiding his murderous revenge plot, Frankenstein his reanimating the monster, and the Inspector his spying on the Baron's experiments. The boy, the mother and the rest of the townspeople have no need for such secrecy. Plus, some of Ygor's dialogue ("he does things for me") and the way he jealously handles the creature, while not allowing Frankenstein to do so, is asking for such an interpretation.
Two supporting characters, Bela Lugosi demonstrating his range as Ygor and Lionel Atwill at his best as an Inspector, given plenty of business to perform with his fake arm and monocle, steal the show. Playing in the shadows of these character actors and Basil Rathbone's frazzled histrionics, it's no wonder that this would be Karloff's last time as the creature. Here, the character regresses back to a speechless giant infant who has difficulty recognizing himself in a mirror and is turned into a submissive killing machine--and the role would only become more marginalized in subsequent sequels. Although the series continued, with some success despite B-picture budgets, in many ways, "Son of Frankenstein" was the last hurrah.
Similar to the doubling theme of "Bride of Frankenstein," the title "Son of Frankenstein" appropriately has a triple meaning: for the son Wolf von Frankenstein of the Henry Frankenstein of the first two films, who returns to his father's castle and his father's experiments; for Wolf's son Peter, who befriends the monster he calls a "giant;" and for the monster, who like Wolf, was the product of Henry's creation and has since assumed the Frankenstein name in many people's minds--within the film and without for many of us viewers.
From the opening train ride, with dead trees seen throughout the landscape outside the window, "Son of Frankenstein" is visually expressionistic. Although unlike his father, Wolf doesn't employ lightning in his reanimation of the creature, a lightning storm is prominently featured during the Frankenstein's arrival to the castle, which is also sometimes framed through a window. The castle itself looks like a cross between "Caligari" and a medieval horror story, with gargoyles staring down the dining table, and secret passages throughout, as well as strangely-curved staircases and pathways and angled beds and architecture. The lighting schemes seem to have taken the painted shadows right off the sets of "Caligari." And the Inspector takes a page from the mad scientist of "Metropolis" (1927) with his artificial limb. To top off the art direction--and screaming Chekhov's Gun--a sulphur pit is introduced, with origins traced back to Ancient Rome, but unmentioned in the first two Frankenstein films. Meanwhile, the fairy tale connection is made explicitly self-referential with Peter's giving of a picture book to the "giant." The monster's outfit this outing is also less modern and more befitting a medieval ogre--a comparison made more complete with his murdering men, stealing children, waving the Inspector's arm about like a club and his scientifically-proved super-human strength. (In a laboratory more sparse in electric gizmos than the prior films, Wolf, instead, employs the traditional medical equipment of an x-ray and a microscope, as well as electrically charging the creature like a battery.)
Although "Son of Frankenstein" largely ignores "Bride of Frankenstein" in favor of referencing the 1931 original, including the "super violet ray" and criminal brain stuff, and although James Whale wasn't involved, it's still rather homoerotic and open to a queer reading. That's probably unavoidable, to an extent, with a tale that has marginalized women since Shelley conceived it and, instead, focuses on male bonding, as well as male birthing, and the contests between men to dominate each other. In that respect, and understanding homosexuality as being ostracized back then, the secrecy of the film's male characters may take on another meaning, with Ygor's hiding his murderous revenge plot, Frankenstein his reanimating the monster, and the Inspector his spying on the Baron's experiments. The boy, the mother and the rest of the townspeople have no need for such secrecy. Plus, some of Ygor's dialogue ("he does things for me") and the way he jealously handles the creature, while not allowing Frankenstein to do so, is asking for such an interpretation.
Two supporting characters, Bela Lugosi demonstrating his range as Ygor and Lionel Atwill at his best as an Inspector, given plenty of business to perform with his fake arm and monocle, steal the show. Playing in the shadows of these character actors and Basil Rathbone's frazzled histrionics, it's no wonder that this would be Karloff's last time as the creature. Here, the character regresses back to a speechless giant infant who has difficulty recognizing himself in a mirror and is turned into a submissive killing machine--and the role would only become more marginalized in subsequent sequels. Although the series continued, with some success despite B-picture budgets, in many ways, "Son of Frankenstein" was the last hurrah.