James Whale’s 1931 film Frankenstein is regarded as one of the most influential and well-known horror movies ever created. In this adaptation, the director manages to stay true to the heart of the Mary Shelley’s story while at the same time translating this deeply disturbing work of literature into a more accessible form. Whale’s Frankenstein is actually based on a play by Peggy Webling, which is itself based on Shelley’s novel. Consequently, the movie’s plot diverges from the original in many respects: most notoriously, the doctor’s name is Henry Frankenstein instead of Victor. The film follows a vastly different narrative, and most of the characters and events in Shelley’s novel are scrapped in favor of more direct storytelling. Henry Frankenstein enlists the help of a hunchbacked assistant named Fitz, and it is Fitz’s incompetence in providing Dr. Frankenstein’s monster with a criminal’s brain that explains its evil nature. In the end, Dr. Frankenstein manages to vanquish the monster, and in classic Hollywood fashion, he gets the girl.

Although the book and the movie could hardly be more different, there is a strangely similar atmosphere that is faithfully replicated by James Whale’s work. It is important to keep in mind that a more shocking adaptation would never have seen a mass Hollywood release. The film may sacrifice some of the profound esoteric darkness of Shelley’s novel, but it does so only to hook audiences into her legendary narrative. Mary Shelley’s masterpiece is obviously a superior work of art, but it is because of James Whale’s incredible success that Dr. Frankenstein and his monster have become such a ubiquitous part of popular culture. It is from this classic horror film that we get the famous depiction of Frankenstein’s monster with a boxy head and screws on its neck. Without this seminal piece of cinematographic horror, it is possible that millions of people would never have been exposed to Shelley’s novel. It is even possible that we would not be reading her book in our literature class if it wasn’t for Whale’s celebrated adaptation.

It would be easy to dismiss Whale’s film as too simplistic. However, the movie still effectively explores many of the themes in Shelley’s novel. Isolation, promethean pride, and romantic fatalism are all illustrated in a more lighthearted style. With a running time of just 71 minutes, James Whale’s Frankenstein is surprisingly successful in communicating Shelley’s horrific vision with a lighter tone and more mass appeal. Frankenstein earned critical and commercial success from the day of its release, and it has influenced American culture in ways that very few other movies have since. Despite its happy ending, this film horrified audiences worldwide for decades. All things considered, James Whale’s Frankenstein is a great adaptation of Mary Shelley’s work.