A young woman by the name of Jean Thatcher is involved in a tragic accident as her car falls off a cliff. Jean’s survival will require a skilled surgeon. Jean’s family have no choice but to approach Dr Vollin (Bela Lugosi), a highly trained surgeon who lives in a huge, dark castle. At first, the Dr refuses to assist but shortly after has a change of heart and agrees to try and help keep Jean from possible death.
While Dr. Vollin operates, he discovers that Jean is beautiful and develops strong feelings for her. The operation is a success, and Jean survives. As the Dr pursues Jean, he discovers she is already committed, but that won’t stop Dr. Vollin from getting what he wants. You see, Dr Vollin has a secret obsession with Edgar Allen Poe and owns some torture instruments located underneath his castle.
Around the same time he is pursuing Jean, another man approaches the doctor. A criminal named Edmond Bateman is seeking a complete face change to start a new life. Dr Vollin agrees to conduct the operation, but instead of positively transforming him, Dr Vollin completely disfigures Edmond. To correct the disfigurement, he tells Edmond to do something terrible. Being a criminal and murderer, the request should be quite simple. If Edmond accepts and completes the task that Dr Vollin has set out, he promises to give Edmond a new face that is no longer disfigured. Will Edmond complete the terrible task of saving his face and starting a new life?
The Raven is a highly pleasing film due to its many elements. Performances here by both Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff are tremendous. Considering it was released in 1935, the film’s plot feels new and fresh even in the present day. While it might seem like an uncomfortable plot, watching a man falling head over heels and determining to do anything to win the woman of his dreams was quite pleasing. As the film progressed, I also enjoyed discovering how much of a madman Dr Vollin is. At the film opening, he seemed to be such a professional, kind man, when, in reality, there’s more than meets the eye.
Overall, this is a horror classic that comes highly recommended. The Raven consists of a fun yet horrific plot that still feels fresh even when watching in the present day. The film’s performances are also a major highlight for me, as is the chemistry between Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. It’s films like this that I wish we saw more of in cinemas today instead of remakes and reboots.
8.5/10
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Review Written by Peter Walkden
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