The 2022-2023 Film Journal Entry #54: "The Invisible Man"

The 2022-2023 Film Journal Entry #54: "The Invisible Man"

There are no droll or unappealing characters in The Invisible Man, a dip in the pacing, nor a few bits of mental gymnastics to make the piece work, making the flick one of the stronger entries in the series. The titular star of the picture is once again first-rate. Claude Rains, seen previously in this film journal as the father of the Wolf Man, is another great actor playing a great character. As the diabolical, insane, violent, naughty, threatening, and scene-stealing Jack Griffin, Rains gives his character a laugh and an attitude akin to the one of the greatest villains of all time: the Joker from the Batman stories. Indeed, considering the Invisible Man murders people and plans to rule the world yet is not above going out of his way to laugh and make the audience chuckle at his harmless but chaotic antics thanks to his unusual state, Griffin is similar to the Joker from Batman: The Animated Series: probably my favorite iteration of that character. Such a compliment is not a small one.

Yet, like all the rest of the Classic Monsters gang, (even, if one squints hard enough, Dracula), the Invisible Man is a tragic character whose flaws and desires are all too human. Dr. Jack Griffin did not know of the effects of the flower-based ingredients for his experiments; did not know he would go insane if the chemicals touched him. He is not an evil man but one afflicted with a scientific curse of the mind. Otherwise, he would not be tormenting his lab partner and friend, Dr. Arthur Kemp. He only committed himself to such a naïve endeavor because he was low-class guy filled with an equally low-esteem of himself, causing him to believe he was not good enough for the woman he loves, Flora Cranley, daughter of his and Kemp's boss. Not unless he achieves something great, that is, and so was the catalyst for his mistake. But Flora does love him, never mind what he sees himself as. Meeting an invisible Jack stirs up the humanity inside him again that is, frankly, dying. In the end, the truth of who Jack really is beyond his mental fracture is made clear, but far too late. Man, just great stuff from a very entertaining flick that ends the premiere Universal Classic Monster films on a high note.

With this cinematic exploration complete, just for fun and in the spirit of the James Bond opening song ranking list I did two film journals ago, here is my initial ranking of the introductory Universal Classic Monster films from least to greatest. The list, of course, is subject to change in the future.

The Mummy: while Boris Karloff as the monster is simply awesome, the rest of the piece is more mediocre than special.

The Phantom of the Opera (1925): an overall great film but not one that hits me personally as much as the other entries.

Dracula: when I saw this flick initially years and years ago, I liked the piece but not much. The film did not match my expectations. But, after watching Son of Frankenstein, I decided to give this one another watch, and the piece turned out to be wonderful. Reinfeld is horrifying, Count Dracula by Bela Lugosi is timeless, Dr. Van Helsing is great, and the film's shadows are intoxicating. But the filmmaking can be less inspiring at times.

Frankenstein: the film I saw after Dracula that made me entirely forget trying to watch this series ever again, as my disagreements with the piece made me feel betrayed as a potential fan. However, because of this unexpected foray into the Classic Monster series, my brother and I decided flipping the picture on in the background while we worked and remarking the picture was not as bad as we remembered the piece being was not good enough if we were becoming fans of these films.

So, before watching The Invisible Man, we properly sat down and gave Frankenstein, and its first sequel, another try. Yes, the piece is a Hollywoodized version of Mary Shelly's sublime novel; the exact way the little girl drowns is still wonky since the third act requires the audience to participate in a lot of mental gymnastics; the phrenology details are pointless and small but very annoying.

Yet I would be a liar if I said I did not enjoy the film a lot and that much of what I criticized in the past is either absent or severely reduced, making for a seriously impactful film. Honestly, I care about this film more than most in this list, but my issues, while now minor, are noticeable. Most of my affection comes from Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster: my absolute favorite in the Classics' gang. Director Guillermo del Toro has said that this character is a kind of real-life saint to him, and I can see why. The Monster has struck my soul in ways I cannot exactly explain.

Thus, I now forgive and very much accept 1931's Frankenstein.

Creature from the Black Lagoon: spooky, wonderfully executed, a touch sad, and actually thrilling, this flick took me by surprise and is one of the best made and entertaining entries in the series.

The Invisible Man: the fun, inventiveness, and combined aesthetics of this very well-made film are immensely impressive to earn this place in the ranking.

The Wolf Man: the film that made me think I could really become a lover of this series with its heartfelt drama, soulful tragedy, and perfect Halloween nature. The fate of Jack Griffin is sad. I pitied the Creature, the Phantom, and the Mummy. I was a little bummed to see someone so charmingly villainous like Dracula turn to dust, and wondered what he could have meant by a certain line I plan to explore in a potential, upcoming Dracula-themed film journal entry. Re-watching in passing and with direct attention, the end of Frankenstein's Monster fills me with a real sadness that rivals this film. Yet there is something about the doom of the Wolf Man that got to me the most, more than any other of the gang, and left me feeling like I watched a real grief unfold. Stellar stuff.

As for the sequels I have seen, I would probably rank Son of Frankenstein just below the original. After giving Bride of Frankenstein a proper, rather than vague, re-watch, I can truthfully say that other than Dr. Pretorius, the titular mad scientist, the continued gothic imagery, the Bride's hairdo, Boris Karloff, and the sequence with the Monster and the Blind Man, I despise and am borderline disgusted by everything else in this mean-spirited and unintellectual flick. I will not be persuaded otherwise by, apparently, the entire rest of the world's adoration for Bride. My opinions are valid, rooted in tangible evidence, and I cannot stand this piece in the slightest, save for those noted elements. I never want to watch this supremely overrated, moronic, and hurtful garbage ever again.

As of this writing, the Halloween season is about halfway over. Save for that aforementioned Dracula-related picture, I believe these Classic Monsters will take a break now and retreat back to their coffins and dark places. Yet I cannot thank these monsters, their movies, and their filmmakers enough for the special gift they have shared with me: a new fandom. While evil corporate creeps and internet idiots consider that phrase to be a statement of identity as defined by some merchandising and dogmatic brand, I use this definition in the oldest, most happiest sense. A new fandom means a new dimension of imagination; new fictional friends; new concepts and feelings; a whole expansion of the soul. Not a triumph of any greedy industry but the addition of a whole new chapter and world in one's life.

A beautiful thing only a monster could understand.

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