History YMMV / TheCurseOfFrankenstein

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: In 1957 this film was shocking for its gore, especially in Technicolor. Audiences had not seen such red blood on the screen before. The Creature's make-up was horrifying too, as the image of Frankenstein's monster was associated with the Creator/BorisKarloff look, and audiences weren't expecting to see such a grotesquely scarred figure.

* CompleteMonster: [[DrFrankenstein Victor Frankenstein]] is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had by the end of the film. A MadScientist obsessed with [[CreatingLife life beyond death]], he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein murders a kindly old scientist in order to harvest his brain. In response to his mistress's anger towards him for refusing to marry her, he murders her and her unborn child by locking them in a room to be killed by his monster. Frankenstein threatens to murder his wife when [[HeroAntagonist Paul]] attempts to expose his misdeeds, and shows no remorse upon accidentally shooting her. Utterly callous and ruthless in his mad quest to become a scientific god, Frankenstein is [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters even more terrifying than the creature he creates]].

* CompleteMonster: [[AdaptationalVillainy Victor Frankenstein]] is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had by the end of the film. A MadScientist obsessed with [[CreatingLife life beyond death]], he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein murders a kindly old scientist in order to harvest his brain. In response to his mistress's anger towards him for refusing to marry her, he murders her and her unborn child by locking them in a room to be killed by his monster. Frankenstein threatens to murder his wife when [[HeroAntagonist Paul]] attempts to expose his misdeeds, and shows no remorse upon accidentally shooting her. Utterly callous and ruthless in his mad quest to become a scientific god, Frankenstein is [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters even more terrifying than the creature he creates]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Paul. He doesn't go to the authorities over Victor's illegal activities even when they culminate in literal murder. He doesn't tell Elizabeth the truth despite claiming he wants to protect her, even seeming to imply she couldn't intellectually comprehend the truth or is too emotionally fragile to handle it, coming off as somewhat sexist. In fact, his actions lead to the death of more people by the hands of both Victor and the monster, the latter of whom might not have even turned out violent if he had not damaged the brain Victor intended to use. If he was played as morally ambiguous this might have worked but the movie seems to treat him as the white to Victor's black, which just makes him come across as a weak-willed and self-righteous hypocrite who talks about morality but never truly acts on it. [[spoiler: Even at the very end it's Victor who stops the monster--even if it was unwillingly--so Paul's protests and threats all amount to nothing except ineffective blustering.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Paul. He doesn't go to the authorities over Victor's illegal activities or even his outright murder, nor does he tell Elizabeth the truth despite claiming he wants to protect her, and his actions lead to the death of more people by the hands of both Victor and the monster, who might not have even turned out violent if he had not damaged the brain Victor intended to use.

* MoralEventHorizon: At first, Victor Frankenstein seems to be an obsessed genius, even after actually [[spoiler:killing a man to get his brain]] but when he uses the monster to [[spoiler:kill the maid he's banging to keep her quiet, he's now irredeemably evil]].

* TheObiWan: This is the first Frankenstein adaptation to completely dispense with Igor or any variation of the subservient lackey assistant. The Baron has no real assistant in this film. In fact, his accomplice, Paul is the one who taught the younger Victor everything he knows about science and Victor respects him as an intellectual equal. Naturally, Victor would [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope be seduced the the dark side of science]] and take things too far. Paul is also a subversion of the trope as [[MentorOccupationalHazard not only does he survive the events of the story]], but he condemns his former pupil to execution for a murder that he knows happened somewhat differently from the way the public assumes.[[note]]Given Paul's role in the creation of the monster, this was probably warranted[[/note]]. Being the better man, he also gets the girl in the end.
* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: In 1957 this film was shocking for its gore, especially in Technicolor. Audiences had not seen such red blood on the screen before. The Creature's make-up was horrifying too, as the image of Frankenstein's monster was associated with the Boris Karloff look, and audiences weren't expecting to see such a grotesquely scarred figure.

* CompleteMonster: [[AdaptationalVillainy Victor Frankenstein]] is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had by the end of the film. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein murders a kindly old scientist in order to harvest his brain. In response to his mistress's anger towards him for refusing to marry her, he murders her and her unborn child by locking them in a room to be killed by his monster. Frankenstein threatens to murder his wife when [[HeroAntagonist Paul]] attempts to expose his misdeeds, and shows no remorse upon accidentally shooting her. Utterly callous and ruthless in his mad quest to become a scientific god, Frankenstein is even more terrifying than the creature he creates.

* CompleteMonster: [[AdaptionalVillainy Victor Frankenstein]] is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had by the end of the film. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein murders a kindly old scientist in order to harvest his brain. In response to his mistress's anger towards him for refusing to marry her, he murders her and her unborn child by locking them in a room to be killed by his monster. Frankenstein threatens to murder his wife when [[HeroAntagonist Paul]] attempts to expose his misdeeds, and shows no remorse upon accidentally shooting her. Utterly callous and ruthless in his mad quest to become a scientific god, Frankenstein is even more terrifying than the creature he creates.

* CompleteMonster: [[VillainProtagonist Victor Frankenstein]], in contrast with every other interpretation of the character, is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had by the end of the film. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein murders a kindly old scientist in order to harvest his brain. In response to his mistress's anger towards him for refusing to marry her, he murders her and her unborn child by locking them in a room to be killed by his monster. Frankenstein threatens to murder his wife when [[HeroAntagonist Paul]] attempts to expose his misdeeds, and shows no remorse upon accidentally shooting her. Utterly callous and ruthless in his mad quest to become a scientific god, Frankenstein is even more terrifying than the creature he creates.

* CompleteMonster: [[VillainProtagonist Victor Frankenstein]], in contrast with every other interpretation of the character, is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had as the films go on. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein begins to gain the parts by simply murdering people and harvesting them for resources. His worst moment is when in ''Film/FrankensteinMustBeDestroyed'', a later film in the series, he rapes a woman for nothing more than his own satisfaction, proving his only devotion is to his own desires above even science.

* TheObiWan: ** This is the first Frankenstein adaptation to completely dispense with Igor or any variation of the subservient lackey assistant. The Baron has no real assistant in this film. In fact, his accomplice, Paul is the one who taught the younger Victor everything he knows about science and Victor respects him as an intellectual equal. Naturally, Victor would [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope be seduced the the dark side of science]] and take things too far. Paul is also a subversion of the trope as [[MentorOccupationalHazard not only does he survive the events of the story]], but he condemns his former pupil to execution for a murder that he knows happened somewhat differently from the way the public assumes.[[note]]Given Paul's role in the creation of the monster, this was probably warranted[[note]]. Being the better man, he also gets the girl in the end.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Did Victor's tale about creating the monster really not happen as the ending seems to imply, or was the whole thing true and Paul is just pretending it's all an insane delusion of Victor's and therefore is condemning his former friend to death to ensure that something like it never happens again?

* GenreTurningPoint: For British horror. This is the film that put HammerHorror on the map.

* CompleteMonster: [[VillainProtagonist Victor Frankenstein]], in contrast with every other interpretation of the character, is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had as the films go on. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein begins to gain the parts by simply murdering people and harvesting them for resources. His worst moment is when in ''Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'', a later film in the series, he rapes a woman for nothing more than his own satisfaction, proving his only devotion is to his own desires above even science.

* CompleteMonster: Victor Frankenstein, in contrast with every other interpretation of the character, is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had as the films go on. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein begins to gain the parts by simply murdering people and harvesting them for resources. His worst moment is when in ''Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'', a later film in the series, he rapes a woman for nothing more than his own satisfaction, proving his only devotion is to his own desires above even science.

* CompleteMonster: Victor Frankenstein, in contrast with every other interpretation of the character, is a heinous individual who gradually loses every redeeming quality he had as the films go on. A MadScientist obsessed with life beyond death, he plunders graves to get the parts to make his monster, and has no compunction committing murder to cover his tracks. Defined by his utter separation from human morality after a point, Frankenstein begins to gain the parts by simply murdering people and harvesting them for resources. His worst moment is when in a later film in the series, he rapes a woman for nothing more than his own satisfaction, proving his only devotion is to his own desires above even science.

* JerkassWoobie: The creature who is violent but probably only because his brain was damaged, and later he is thoroughly degraded by Baron Frankenstein.

* CompleteMonster: In this film, Frankenstein really ''is'' more of a monster than his creation.

* VindicatedByHistory: Critics initially hated the film. Nowadays it's hailed as a classic.