Year: 1931
Runtime: 1 h 10 m
Language: English
Director: James Whale
Driven by an insatiable ambition, a brilliant but tormented scientist attempts to cheat death by creating a creature from various body parts. His creation, a grotesque figure, is brought to life but quickly becomes a source of horror and regret as it escapes its creator and seeks revenge for its abandonment.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Frankenstein (1931), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Dr. Henry Frankenstein, portrayed by Colin Clive, embarks on a bold experiment to create a man in his own likeness, utilizing the remains of a deceased individual. Alongside his assistant Dwight Frye, they exhume a recently buried corpse. However, they soon discover the head and brain are irreparably damaged, prompting them to procure a brain from Dr. Frankenstein’s previous mentor, Edward Van Sloan. In a twist of fate, Fritz accidentally drops a jar labeled “normal brain” and opts instead for one marked “abnormal brain.”
Utilizing a mysterious ray invented by Dr. Frankenstein, the creature is reanimated during a thunderstorm, giving birth to Frankenstein’s monstrous creation, played by Boris Karloff. As the reality sinks in that he has unleashed a malevolent being, Dr. Frankenstein and Fritz confine the creature in a cell. However, when the monster is persistently tormented by Fritz, it ultimately retaliates, resulting in Fritz’s death.
Upon escaping confinement, the hapless monster encounters a young girl by the water’s edge. In a tragic sequence of events, the duo delights in throwing flowers into the water, but the monster’s naivety leads him to throw the girl into the water as well, with devastating consequences. The girl’s father later carries her lifeless body through the streets, igniting fury among the townspeople, who demand the creature’s demise.
In desperation, the rampaging monster seeks refuge in an old windmill, taking Dr. Frankenstein captive. In an intense confrontation, the monster hurls Dr. Frankenstein from the mill’s height—though he survives by landing on one of the blades. Enraged, the townsfolk set the windmill ablaze, trapping the troubled creation beneath the collapsing structure.
Last Updated: October 24, 2024 at 09:23
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