Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

<<

Classic Horror Special

>>

If I'm altogether honest about this one, I had a pretty hard time getting through it. It's understandable that for 1920, it was probably pretty effective. But it's sadly officially dated, and there have been better adaptations since. I'm not talking about modern remakes, either. The 1931 version, featuring Fredric March is often seen as much better.

It all depends on what you're after, though. This John Barrymore classic is seemingly preferred on the critical level, whereas the '31 version is a bit more sought out by general audiences. I would probably say that this one may end up being a little more artsy and poetic as well in its dialogue/captions.

Based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, 'Jekyll and Hyde' tells the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll (Barrymore). He's well known in his community for being selfless, and having an enthusiasm for science. Visiting Sir George Carewe (Brandon Hurst) one evening, Jekyll is criticized by him for being reluctant about looking after himself instead of taking care of others. While Jekyll opposes this, stating that in helping others, one improves oneself. But he's soon drawn into visiting a music hall, where he watches an exotic dancer named Gina (Nita Naldi).

Soon, Jekyll develops a facination with the two opposing sides of human nature - the buckled-down, hard-working side vs. the fun, letting loose side. He obsesses over the idea of separating the two sides, and soon develops a formula that allows him to flip-flop between two personalities. One personality is just mild-mannered him, and the other is a, shall we say wilder version of himself that largely represents our darker side. He names this side of himself "Hyde". The film's symbolism continues throughout the film as we get a glimpse of just how much that wild and primitive side can take us over. It's largely a cautionary tale, so as not to allow that dies to dominate us.

As mentioned earlier, I did have a hard time getting though this. But this is largely because it's my first watch of a 1920 silent film. Of course it's not really gonna live up to what I want to see, and I have to try to appreciate it for its time. But while it's not without a bit of creepiness, I've gotta but 'Cabinet of Caligari' a few steps above it. Released the same year, 'Caligari' used a lot of atmospheric set pieces and music that make it still pretty creepy by today's standards. This has only a bit of that, and I have to admit that Hyde is more funny to watch than scary. But again, it was 1920. I'm sure for the time, it was effective for many.

There's really not much else to say about it. Most everyone knows this story in one form or another, be it one of the original films, 'The Nutty Professor' or even that 'Loony Tunes' version. Most everyone has seen some version of this story, as the symbolism behind it is an important takeaway. As far as recommendations go though, only watch this if you wanna go back that far to watch a story you've probably seen many times. It's a neat piece of cinematic history, but it's been done better since this version.

3/5

---