The Curse of Frankenstein

The creature created by man and forgotten by nature.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) tells of Baron Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious scientist whose obsession with conquering death drives him to assemble a living being from stolen body parts. When his monstrous creation turns violent, Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge spirals into madness and destruction. This groundbreaking Hammer horror redefined gothic cinema with its vivid color, shocking violence, and morally complex take on Mary Shelley’s classic tale.

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  Originally conceived as a black-and-white quickie, perhaps even with Boris Karloff in the lead, the film, called The Curse of Frankenstein, rapidly grew in scope as the pronounced antipathy of Universal inspired Hammer to strike out in an entirely new, and startling, direction. … The [film begins innocuously] — as tweely — as any other British costume drama of the period, but only because Fisher is biding his time before unleashing some major surprises. … The second half of the film is devoted [to a series] of gruelling scenes which determined the whole style for what would become known as ‘Hammer horror’ and which retain their rough-hewn power today. … Terence Fisher’s modest and unpretentious Frankenstein picture found itself in the curious position of having revitalized, redefined and revolutionalised horror movies around the world.