The film directed by Terence Fisher in 1957 is loosely (vagamente) inspired by Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometeus by Mary Shelly. It starts when Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is in prison : he is going to be executed for murder and starts telling his story to a priest. After his father’s death, young Frankenstein collaborates with a scientist – Paul Krempe. They succeed in bringing a dead dog back to life and Victor suggests to create a human life from corpses. At first Krempe helps Victor then he withdraws (si ritira), unable to tolerate the search for human remains (resti). Victor assembles parts of bodies of people executed on gallows (forca). For the brain (cervello), Victor wants to find one of an intelligent man so that the monster can have a sharp mind (mente acuta). He invites an eminent professor and kills him pushing him off the top of a strair-case (spingendolo giù da una scala), and the murder appears to be an accident. Unfortunately, when Victor goes to take the brain of the buried (sepolto) professor, Krempe discovers him and the two struggle (lottano), unconsciously damaging the brain. However Frankenstein finally brings life to the monster (Christopher Lee) who reveals to be both violent and psychotic. The creature escapes and kills an old blind man. Victor and Krempe hides the creature burying him. When Krempe leaves town, Frankenstein digs the creature up (porta la creatura alla luce) and revives him. Victor uses the creature to kill Justine, a maid who has unveiled (svelato) the truth and wants to reveal it. Eventually, the creature escapes again and threatens (minaccia) Victor’s bride, Elizabeth. Victor pursues it (la perseguita) , and at last he succeed in burning him (riesce a bruciarlo) and making him fall into a bath of acid where the body dissolves totally. At this point Victor is accused of Justine’s death and implores Krempe to tell that the monster had killed her but the scientist refuses and Victor is condemned to be executed. At the end the viewer is does not know if the story is true or it is only fruit of a homicidal lunatic’s mind.
2013-05-04