Young Frankenstein (1974) Fox DVD

by ANDY IHNATKO

Moody and menacing Castle Frankenstein, hidden in the misty hills of Transylvania and vacant since Doctor Victor von Frankenstein caused a bit of trouble a while back, is welcoming three new guests. They're being shown around by the castle's longtime caretaker – the crone-ish Frau Blucher, whose palpable darkness resonates on such a sub-molecular level that whenever her name is uttered anywhere on the premises, it causes horses to rear up and whinny in terror outside.

"Young Frankenstein" is a masterful and self-confident parody. Was that running gag inspired by a scene in the two movies ("Frankenstein" and "Bride Of Frankenstein") that directly inspired this one? I screened them both and nope, that's something Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks came up with on their own.

That's what makes "Young Frankenstein" still seem fresh and new even a quarter-century after its initial release. Will this summer's smash "Scary Movie" even be remembered a year after it comes out on video? God, no. It "parodies" recent teen-slasher movies by throwing all of them in a blender and editing together the results; it demonstrates an understanding of comedy and the slasher genre no more profound than the idea that if you take a familiar line or image from a popular flick and just put it in a new context, the audience might understand that this is meant to be their cue to laugh.

"Young Frankenstein" does frequently quote from its ancestors ("No more flowers," an apple-cheeked little girl innocently observes, as she plays with the on-the-run Monster. "What shall we throw down the well now?"). But if lesser parodies have only read the screenplays of their originals, this flick has read "Frankenstein's" playbook. It understands the motives and methods behind the film, and creates a new chapter that frankly has a credible place in the greater legend.

Gene Wilder is the eminently-respected American professor Dr. Frederick Frankenstein – "That's FRONK-en-steen!" he angrily insists, giving you some idea of how eager he is to follow in his grandfather Victor's footsteps. But when his great-grandfather Baron Bofort von Frankenstein (equally ashamed of the family legacy) leaves him the family castle in his will, he's persuaded to leave the university and his fianceé for a couple of weeks and journey to Transylvania to claim his inheritance.

There he's met by a hunchbacked manservant Igor ("that's EYE-gore!") and Inga, a comely young local lass. With these three plus the aforementioned Frau Blucher (whinnnny!) we've got more or less the whole team, except for the Monster. He enters the game after Frederick's curiosity leads him to discover Grandfather's secret library and lab. The Panicky Villagers inevitably turn up close behind.

The movie looks even more familiar than it sounds, thanks to Mel Brooks' unswervable insistence on shooting the entire film in black & white – even at the cost of blowing the movie's first chance to get made. It might have seemed like an expensive and self-indulgent contrivance at the time, given that they were just making a comedy, after all...but Gerald Hirschfeld's cinematography contributes as much to the success of "Young Frankenstein" as the direction or any of the performances. It's shot with great care and skill, simultaneously poking fun at and praising the classic photography of the Universal horror films of the Thirties. You understand why Mel wanted it this way. The photography makes "Young Frankenstein" looks like a million bucks but it's more than just pretty pictures. It draws you more deeply into the film's unreality and helps Mel get away with a lot. When Frederick is helping Ilsa off the cart and comments "What knockers!" (referring of course to the impressive hardware on the castle door, not Ilsa) you don't feel quite so guilty for laughing. Film the same joke in color, and you've got something out of his "The History Of The World, Part 1."

And the cinematography's emblematic of what makes the whole film work. Gene Wilder, and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher (whinnnnyy!!) and Peter Boyle as The Monster, are all taking their jobs very, very seriously here. The comedy comes from craftsmanship. The performers are each allowed serious moments that kick the surrounding comedy into greater heights by contrast. Frederick is passionately imploring the heavens to grant his creation life in one moment and having a massive temper-tantrum moments later when he fails. The Monster is gamely (and hysterically) engaging in a public demonstration of fine motor skills in one scene. At the beginning of the next, he's in chains, evoking real pity. You could cut together a trailer for "Young Frankenstein" that makes it look indelibly like a serious, dramatic addition to the "Frankenstein" mythos, and it'd still be a must-see.

Which of course is sledgehammer-strong praise for a comedy. Trust me, it's a full-blown funny picture, second in Mel Brooks' filmography only to the utterly perfect "The Producers" and tied with "Blazing Saddles."

But it's a comedy of the kind we almost never see these days, and absolutely never in the genre of parody. It's not like an "Airplane!" movie, made for rapid-fire hit-or-miss yuk, yuk, yuk, getting a random quarter of the audience laughing at any given moment. "Young Frankenstein" builds to its laughs instead. Not every line is meant to be funny, but when one person laughs, everyone laughs.

Copyright ©2001 Andy Ihnatko. May not be redistributed without permission. Studio PR types wishing to send Andy tapes, promotional clothing, or high-end video gear in hopes of securing a positive review are advised that such efforts are futile, but they're free to try to determine how high Andy's price actually is. Mail any and all pelft to Box 279, Norwood, MA 02062. He already has a subwoofer for his home-theater but could probably use a good pair of casual slacks.