The Invisible Man (1933)
Director: James Whale
Starring: Claude Rains, Glora Stuart, William Harrigan
Synopsis:
A scientist who has succeeded in turning himself invisible seeks to reverse the process while struggling with creeping madness and the temptation to abuse his new nature.
Impressions:
Doing these reviews has made a fine excuse for me to look up the classics. I think I've hit all the other major Universal horror classics, so it's high time I got to this one. I wasn't expecting the story to start with the eponymous Invisible Man having already succeeded in his experiment and now trying to undo what he's done. While things do escalate, for a while it's really funny hearing Jack's delusions of grandeur while he does the pettiest of mischief. Claude Rains seems to have been having a lot of fun with the role, especially when Jack is at his most manic. A couple instance of the compositing are a bit rough, but given when this was made, there's some neat things being done to sell the invisibility effect. The ending is a bit underwhelming, but you could argue that it's appropriate for Jack's megalomania amounting to so little. I wouldn't call this a cinematic titan, but it's definitely worth giving a watch, so be sure to check it out.
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