The Universal Classic Monsters Review
The term “cinematic icon” can refer to many different things. It could be a notably impressive set piece or a particularly impactful musical theme. It could be as simple as a prop: a falcon, a sled, a ring. Then there are iconic characters. Those heroes and villains that immediately come to mind when we think of movies. The most memorable of these have the power to move beyond the world of cinema to then become a part of the culture at large.
Perhaps the most successful examples of this are in the Universal Monsters of the 1930s and 40s. These characters are so ingrained in the collective consciousness, that even those who have never watched the films can immediately tell you intricate details about them. When we think of Frankenstein, odds are that we are picturing a tall, lumbering figure with a flat head and bolts coming out of his neck. When we refer to Dracula, we’re not talking about Max Schreck, Gary Oldman, or even Christopher Lee. We are talking about Bela Lugosi with slicked back hair and long, flowing cape.
Along with the characters themselves are the worlds they inhabit, which are long on atmosphere and short on logic. Reason and realism do not apply here. These places exist outside of time, where crumbling castles can be accessed by automobile. They are meant to stick with us long after the movie is over. Decrepit windmills, insane laboratories, and ancient tombs set a delightful tone of dread and suspicion. Heavily informed – but not completely – by the shadowy films of German expressionism, these are places we feel like we could step inside (even though we wouldn’t want to).
The stories are deceptively simple, but thematically complex. They explore concepts like the darkness of human nature, the desire to play God, and the desperate loneliness that comes with being an outsider. These ideas had been tackled before, but doing so with vampires, werewolves, and invisible men could actually allow these filmmakers to address them in a more straightforward way.
It also allowed the audience to engage with tragedies every bit as heartbreaking as those of William Shakespeare. Were these monsters to be merely scary, they would be rendered two dimensional. And I frankly doubt they would have had such a cultural impact, if that were the case. Instead, these are fully developed characters who are deeply aware of their own unfortunate circumstances. It is a very sad thing to be a monster. Frankenstein seeks companionship, the Mummy seeks his lost love, and poor Larry Talbot – the Wolfman – just wants to die. Doctor Griffin may have gained invisibility, but he lost his mind. It would seem that Dracula stands alone in the pleasure that he takes from being evil. But even then, there are scenes where Dracula reveals his longing for an actual death.
This is what makes these movies truly iconic: their exploration of the darker elements of life. They don’t stop at fear, but instead show us the entire range of the more difficult human emotions. Anger, greed, selfishness, loneliness, obsession. These and more are what we are faced with when we watch these movies, forcing us to look at the parallels in our own lives. That we are able to engage with such complexities while enjoying the sensational stories and fantastical worlds of these films speaks to their power as true works of art and indeed genuine American icons.
