The Invisible Man (1933)

Reviewed by Matt
Posted on July 8, 2005
Filed Under Black and white, Classics, Monsters, Uncategorized

Somewhere along the line, director James Whale decided to start incorporating comedy into his horror movies. Many people consider 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein to be the high-point of his genre-mixing, but as far as I’m concerned it’s his earlier film The Invisible Man, based on HG Wells’ novel, that’s the most successful. Whilst Bride is obviously a great film, the camp comedy doesn’t sit too well with the tragic elements of Mary Shelley’s story and Karloff’s doleful performance. The fact that the Invisible Man’s central protagonist is, erm, an invisible man, gives a greater opportunity for the comedy to arise organically out of scenario, especially with the script’s bumbling policemen, hysterical barmaids and angry mobs.

This is a terrific little film that stands up astonishingly well by modern standards, possible more so than any of Universal’s other classic monster movies. Most obviously, the special effects are brilliant; the scene in which the invisible man pulls of his bandages to reveal his lack of a face is brilliantly realised. It’s also really pacey; things move along at quite a lick, and Whale ensures there’s always an action or special effects sequence just around the corner to keep the energy up. But best of all is Claude Rains’ mesmerising performance in the lead role. As we don’t see his face until the end, his voice has to do all the work, and what a voice it is too - sneering and desperate, he practically sings the witty script, and his murders are deliciously horrible.

There’s not a vast amount more to say about The Invisible Man, beyond the fact that it’s brilliant - watch it now.