THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The dark side can be an interesting concept, but does not mean it should be explored for pleasure because it can be as dangerous as poking a rabid animal.
PLOT
Based on the 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1931’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde follows Henry Jekyll, a kind hearted doctor who lives in Victorian London, certain that within each man lurks both good & evil impulses. He is in love with fiancé Muriel Crew, but her father, General Sir Danvers Carew (Halliwell Hobbs), does not like him and insists on the two to wait on being married. On one nightly walk home, Henry passes by a bar and meets local singer Ivy Pierson. She tries to seduce him when walking her home, but he shows restraint when choosing to turn down her advances. While Muriel has a visit in Bath, he makes an experimental drug that can unleash his evil side. After imbibing a concoction of drugs, it unleashes said persona Mister Edward Hyde. The latter is proven to be quite sadistic when finding Ivy again at night, only to be manipulative towards her, as well as rape her. He even offers her financial support with her company in return, and vows to return when least expecting it. With a newspaper confirming Muriel soon to return, Henry feels so guilty of what happened that he sends Ivy 50 euros. She later goes to him, unaware he and Hyde are one & the same, telling her of what happened and chooses him out of respect for their first encounter. He assures her she won't see Hyde again, but it would only be an empty promise because he loses control and kills her when his dark side takes over. When his butler Mr. Poole (Edgar Norton) refuses admission, he writes a letter to his colleague John Lanyon for help, instructing him to take certain chemicals from Jekyll's laboratory with him. When arriving to his home, he reveals his predicament to him who in turn believes he's beyond saving. Realizing the transformations are now beyond his control, Henry chooses to call off his engagement with Muriel as soon as she returns. Her heartbreak triggers another transformation of Mr Hyde who gets chased away after trying to assault her, as well as beat her dad with his walking stick. He does return to the laboratory to revert back to Jekyll, but Lanyon tracks him with the company of police once he recognizes his cane at the crime scene. Once tracked, being cornered triggers another transformation of Hyde, which would be the last as the film would end with him being shot down when choosing to attack again.
THOUGHTS
When reading this book in high school, I was just stunned of it all because I couldn't believe how much of a bad trajectory can happen when making a personal mission in the name of science, besides Frankenstein. In this case, producer/director Rouben Mamoulian gives a gritty interpretation in showing the consequences on submitting to our urges; Just because the unusual is so interesting does not immediately mean we should cave to pursue it so quickly. A decision that sounds so irrational should be thought with all the possible precision before doing something that can result in no return. This isn't even the first adaptation of this story due to plays and multiple silent films being made before, but this being one of the earlier talkies (that would lead to many more) just seems to have the strongest affect due to how the titular character's journey is most grounded to get the message across. Thanks to ground breaking makeup, Frederic March is able to earn his acting Oscar in showing both sides of the coin so perfectly. We want to root for Dr. Jekyll because he's genuinely a nice guy who wants to find a solution for our inner thoughts. From there, he is evil incarnate when becoming Mr. Hyde for being so remorseless with all the harm he does. Considering how much happened in a limited amount of time, you know he's bound to be stopped. The only takeaway is that you wish only the bad half was dealt with. With two birds being taken down with one stone, it symbolized how one's actions must always be taken accountable no matter the emotions that were being felt at the time. I know Henry did not intend for such commotion, but I'm sure he can rest peacefully knowing the nightmare is over. While he in a way is a victim of his doing, it's obvious he ain't the only to suffer. It is one thing to say Muriel is one because Rose Hobart shows her to be completely under the nose of it all until it's too late. She always loved Henry for his big heart and when seeing his dark side for the first time, he's gone in the blink of an eye which could break anyone's heart. The biggest victim has to be Ivy because Miriam Hopkins showed her to be a pleasant lady in her own way since she was all about having a good time before things extremely wrong. Ironically, her flattered flirtation towards Henry is what inspired him to make something that would unknowingly be their own doom. With each turn going severe, the only one left to root for is Lanyon because Holmes Herbert shows him to be the one with most restraint since he warned his friend that his experiment would be as bad as it was simple in his mind. He did the right thing going against him because it was better than risking the chance of hurting more people. At the very least, no one else will make the same mistake the good doctor did. In short, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an impressive horror film for showing how awry one's dark side can be when unleashed. If you like to see science gone wrong, see this now.
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