Karl Freund's The Mummy was one of the last of the great Universal Monsters films that I needed to see. I had already seen the first three Frankenstein films, the first two Gill-Man films, Dracula (1931), The Invisible Man (1933), and The Wolf Man (1941). Now I'm mad that I saved The Mummy for last. It follows the resurrection of an Ancient Egyptian priest named Imhotep who was mummified alive for trying to bring his lost love back to life. I must say that Imhotep is my favorite classic Boris Karloff role. Yes, he defined Frankenstein's Monster. But there's an intensity and sadness that dominates Imhotep that puts him into a completely different league than the Monster. Plus, there's just something about the Mummy character archetype that appeals to me: the willingness to wait thousands of years for a loved one, the desperation to find her again, the selflessness of his search. And, yes, he kills people in his search. But he's not some diluted "vegetarian" monster, after all. I love the character's pathos. But I'm just rambling again. I enjoyed The Mummy. It's probably my favorite Universal Monster film, second only to Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Move over, Dracula, Imhotep is here!
7/10
Ha, this was actually the first of the Universal monster movies I saw. I agree that Karloff did a good job as Imhotep, he was creepy but I also felt kinda bad for him as he's trying to get his lover back, despite doing so at all costs.
ReplyDeleteExactly! That just proves that mummies are more romantic than vampires!
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