While fitfully amusing and featuring a brilliant central performance from comedy legend Gene Wilder, this 'classic' falls short of what I would truly call genius. Mel Brooks, fresh from his triumphant Blazing Saddles, another Wilder collaboration, treads none-too-warily into Mary Shelley's horror masterpiece, relocating the plot to what appears to be thirties Europe. Wilder plays Dr Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Fronkensteen), the grandson of the late Victor Frankenstein, infamous creator of the terrifying monster. On receipt of his grandfather's estate he travels to Eastern Europe and takes up residence in his new castle. While scorning his ancestor's early work (which includes a brilliant piece of insanity by Wilder in a medical teaching room) he eventually finds that he cannot escape his destiny, and on finding Victor's hidden laboratory begins once again to 'rescue' a man from the icy clutches of death.
Filmed in black and white for that authentic look, Brooks does a great job of recreating the appearance and feeling of the old horror classics, whilst reverentially mocking them. Wilder is, as I said, brilliant and has the kind of easy comedic presence most people could never achieve. He literally appears to be enjoying every minute and at several points throughout the film has to really stop himself from laughing out loud. The script, co-written by him, is not so much full of killer lines and gags as it is a masterpiece of comedy timing, the ability to look at the screen without saying anything and have the audience laughing is very much in evidence. At this Wilder excels.
The supporting cast however is rather poor. Bar Madeline Kahn's elegant fiancee, and Gene Hackman's cameo as a lonely blind man, the rest are clearly suffering from a lack of directorial control. While this allows Wilder free reign to apparently improvise his entire performance, Teri Garr and Marty Feldman are not so lucky. Feldman, a truly brilliant comedian, is appalling here, mislaying every line and being party to most of the jokes that fall flat. Garr is very pretty, very very pretty, but again is not a comedic actress in the sense required, and is blown away by Kahn's marvellous performance as the snooty little rich girl. Peter Boyle has little to do but look big and roar, and full credit to him that he brings across a well-rounded monster, peaceful and childlike whilst simultanesouly scary and lustful.
The film itself has few scenes of truly standout brilliance, and is mainly a vehicle for Wilder's vexed-character comedy. However, one scene towards the end is worthy of a star or two by itself, as Dr Frankenstein, having pacified the monster, decides to prove to the world that he is harmless. The lengths he and Boyle go to had me in stitches and wanting to watch it all over again. Young Frankenstein is a good comedy, and one of Brooks (a director known for his poor quality control) best, but Blazing Saddles remains his finest work to date. Later films such as Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Life Stinks and Dracula: Dead and Loving It seemingly spell the end of his film career, and one can only conclude that without Wilder he is unlikely to come up with anything better. |
