THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The scariest part about humanity is that you can't see your inner monster until it's too late.
PLOT
Based on HG Wells' 1897 novel, 1933's The Invisible Man follows chemist Jack Griffin covered in bandages and wearing dark goggles, taking a room at the Lion's Head Inn in Sussex. Shortly enough, the in-keeper must evict him due to leaving a huge mess in ongoing research and gets behind on rent. He doesn't take the decision well and chooses to push him off the stairs. When confronted by a policeman and some local civilians, he scares them all by removing his bandages, goggles & clothes that reveal his invisibility. Once completely naked, he is undetectable as he drives everyone off before fleeing to the countryside. Jack has become invisible because he was previously conducting a series of tests involving a drug called 'monocaine' and his research at the inn was about trying to undo his predicament. His peers that include his employer Dr Cranley (Henry Travers), assistant Dr Arthur Kemp and fiance Flora become so distraught on where he could be as the only clue left behind is a note of ingredients including monocaine. This worries Cranley because he knows the dangers of monocaine since it drove an actual dog mad in Germany, which explains the aggressive-ness he displayed at Sussex. Jack later finds Kemp and forces him to be his partner with his new intention start a reign of terror with his ability. With his help, he goes back to the in to retrieve his research he left behind but ends up killing an officer on the way out. Kemp later calls Dr Cranley and the police for help. Griffin reunites with Flora who tags along with her father and he tells her his work was for the intent of fortune & glory. She reminds him he should try to undo his condition, but he becomes more focused on evil endeavors. He escorts her out before confronting Kemp for his betrayal and vowing to kill him the next day. On said following day, he goes on a murder spree that involves a train crash confirming 100 casualties and separate volunteer searchers. In public, Kemp tries to avoid the invisible man by disguising himself as another cop while driving, only to know his only threat hid in the back seat as he was still following him in between the mayhem he caused. He keeps true to his promise by tying him to his car before causing him to crash down a hill and over a cliff. When a snowstorm begins, Griffin decides to take shelter in a barn but he gets spotted sleeping on hay. When a farmer calls the cops of where he is, they light the barn on fire to lure him out and follow him through his footprints to shoot him down. With his wounds being fatal, he is taken to the hospital and gets to see Flora one more time where he admits he should've not made the discovery that made him lose his way. The film ends with Griffin regaining his visibility only after drawing his last breath.
THOUGHTS
The catalog of Universal Monsters from the 30s to the 50s was quite the stack as they were all diverse adventures to say the least. James Whale definitely defined the term of a monster thanks to directing Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein, but I think with this film that came out in between both respected classics, we can come to an understanding where we see how a metaphorical monster is just as dangerous as an actual one if not more. A lot of credit definitely has to go towards John P Fulton’s work in the special effects for crafting the invisibility of the titular lead character, especially in a period where technology is limited compared to the 21st century. Whether it was just using wires to move certain objects like a short, have actor Claude Rains’ skin wrapped in black velvet & shoot in a said background to later combine in an empty set proves what a feat this was. Besides the extras putting an emphasis on believability that someone unseen was after them, Rains commands the role without even seeing his face which was a whole other challenge before animated content became popular. He lets his voice do the most work which pays off in selling the deal how Jack Griffin is a intelligent guy who had a reasonable motive in wanting to make an ultimate breakthrough. Sadly, his success is what led to his own downfall as he quickly descended into madness to the point of committing murder. I mean you just can't redeem yourself after causing a train crash and relish causing such pain. His arc is a fine example on how some things should not have been done just because you can prove it's possible. You do feel bad for him to be killed in order to be restored, but you also feel bad for his lady. Gloria Stuart gives her own fantastic performance because Flora is someone who genuinely loves Jack. She admires her work and wants to show as much support as she can, but his latest and final work is what drove them away from each other. It's quite sad knowing that he had almost forgotten about her had she not found him. He did the right thing keeping his distance after because he knew he didn't want to put her in danger. Knowing this proves how strong love can be when you know it's in the right place.The fact it took such a demise to be stopped makes this tale oh so tragic. I also felt bad for Kemp since William Harrigan presented him to be quite rational and did not deserve to be killed by someone he saw as a friend. Although Jack would not be the last individual to be invisible, since sequels and retellings would come soon after, it comes to show how severe things can be when gaining unchecked power. In conclusion, The Invisible Man is a distinguishable film for showing how different monsters can be in another lens. If you seek a creative sci fi film, see this now.
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