Night 8: ‘The Wolf Man’ (1941)
This is part of the ‘31 Nights of Horror Classics’ series, which I’ll be doing for Halloween 2017. Every night of this month, I’ll be watching a horror film made before the 90s and I’ll be posting a short review here.
What happens when you have to face the most uncontrollable parts of your own nature?
In The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) returns to his hometown after the death of his brother to restore his relationship with his father (Claude Rains). But when he’s bitten by a wolf during a date in the woods, his good-humored nature will be put to the test, as he slowly transforms into a mythical and nightmarish creature.
Before talking about the film, I must confess that I’ve never been frightened by the idea of a werewolf. Even as a child, ghosts and zombies gave me chills. But the idea of a man turning into a woodland creature never struck me as particularly terrifying.
Going into this movie, I was actually apprehensive. I thought I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the story given my previous preconception of the character. To my surprise, it’s probably my favorite of the horror classics I’ve seen so far for this project!
Although I’m still not quite scared of the wolf, the movie won me over due to its heartfelt exploration of the main character. Larry, despite some questionable ‘macho’ behaviors that would not fare well in today’s world, is someone you can root for. Lon Chaney gives him a striking vulnerability that makes you fear for his doom and wish for a speedy solution to his curse.
However, we are still talking about a monster. This werewolf is capable of killing innocents and overthrowing the character’s humanity completely. Thus it embodies one of the themes of the film, as put explicitly by Sir Talbot: the complexity of good and evil, and what it means for different people. And, in the end, Larry himself is not a black-and-white villain or hero that can be pegged to such categories. He is a tragic figure that must face both within himself.
The Wolf Man also incites some great analysis regarding dichotomies that define our daily existence. The protagonist finds himself in the midst of a battle between civilization versus savagery, science versus myth, the mind versus the body, and even organized religion versus superstition.
In this latter point, the film takes a refreshing perspective by pointing popular belief as less dogmatic and much more real. Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya), the mother of the original werewolf, is an empathic and wise character that provides guidance, comprehension and comfort to the others. Even after Larry kills her son, she doesn’t seek vengeance, but tries to aid him in his complex path instead.
These layered characters are a joy to watch, as more often than not some horror films tend to oversimplify them.
But as we all know, no movie is absolutely perfect. The Wolf Man does suffer from the ‘rushed romance’ syndrome of many of its peers. Also, some plot elements falter the more you think about them. For example: the lack of real prosecution for Bela’s (Bela Lugosi) murder, or the fact that Bela looks more like a regular wolf when transformed than Larry –Is it perhaps because he’s been a wolf for longer, and thus is more far-removed from any semblance of humanity? Perhaps. It’s just not explained.
Still, The Wolf Man is a surprising discovery!
If you’re into character-driven horror, or if you’re looking for a not-so-scary movie just in time for Halloween, I truly recommend it.
Grade: 8/10. A horror story with heart.
Scare Factor: not too scary.
Gore/Violence: not too graphic.
Nudity/Sexual Situations: none.
Previous Night: ‘It Came from Outer Space’ (53)
Next up: ‘Invasion of the body snatchers’ (56)
