The film was directed by J. Searle Dawley and stars Augustus Phillips as Dr. Frankenstein and Charles Ogle as the monster. It tells the story of an ambitious student whose mind becomes clouded with evil which allows him to create the monster. He attempts to return to his family, but the monster will not leave him alone.
I was pleasantly surprised by my first foray into 1910. The movie is only 13 minutes long, but I found it engrossing and well-acted by the cast. More unexpected were the special effects. They were crude and simple, but very effective. The monster is born in a large cauldron in shots that appear to be reversed film stock. The design of the monster reminded me of the Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (though not as well dressed). There's also some very simple effects work at the end that convey the overall themes of the movie.
The limitations of the time did not occur to me until reflecting after the film. The film is of course silent with music throughout and text cards setting up each scene. The cameras are all static (no zooms or dolly movements). There was also a limited number of sets (4 if memory serves).
The movie is economical storytelling. It conveys more story in 13 minutes than some two-hour blockbusters.
Definitely recommend and it is available for free on YouTube.
Film fact: This movie was thought lost until the mid-1970s when a collector from Wisconsin realized he had the only surviving copy of this early film.
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