Hey, everyone, back again and looking at horror films. Also
kicking myself for doing a project like this while also armpit-deep in
Halloween, but that’s neither here nor there. Let’s instead move into 1912 and
talk about one of the two versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde made
during this decade. Let’s get to it.
Now, as I said above, this is the first of two versions of
this same story. I opted for the 1912 version over the one made the next year
because to be honest, I just found I liked this one better. The 1913 film is
fine, but it almost seems too long (which sounds strange to say for a film with
a 26 minute runtime), since they don’t have a whole lot of variety in what Hyde
does. The second thing was I liked actor playing Jekyll/Hyde in the 1912
one better. In the later version, the way he bounces and shuffles around as
Hyde I found too comically distracting, and not menacing at all. But enough
about the comparisons, let’s talk about the film at hand.
The first thing I have to say I really enjoyed about this
movie was the music, and how it was used to convey the dichotomy between Jekyll
and Hyde. Jekyll’s music is calm and sedate, almost dreamy. Hyde’s, on the
other hand, is mischievous in an almost malevolent way. It was very striking
and I found it fascinating to watch how it emphasized the personalities of both
characters. It really adds to the film and heightens the impact of the action.
The acting is very good, and as I said above, I preferred
this version of Hyde over the other. In the 1913 film it was too over-the-top,
and I didn’t get the same sense of menace like I did here. I mean, this Hyde
straight up kills a man (his fiancée’s father no less!) after attacking her
first. This is a huge contrast from the calm, kind Jekyll we see with her only
a moment before. I didn’t think that anyone was hugely over-acting, either.
They played this film totally straight without any camp. I really felt for the
guy when things started going haywire and his evil alter-ego started taking
over and wrecking things. Right after the police officer leaves when looking for
Hyde, you see a brief shot where Jekyll drops down to one knee and just has
this ‘what have I done’ moment. Then, at the end, you see even Hyde in a moment
of desperation as his time has run out; he’s destroyed the laboratory and the
police are breaking down the door. So then we see him find and take the vial of
poison, and end to the madness for Jekyll and one last middle-finger to the
authorities for Hyde.
The transformations themselves are done mostly with cuts,
and look good, and I like the way they really made Hyde look so much different
from Jekyll. The ratty, opposite-color hair, the blacked-out teeth, the buggy eyes
and big eyebrows, and even the way he holds his hands in a gnarled way really
emphasize Hyde’s personality and his contrast from Jekyll.
So, in conclusion, I really enjoyed 1912’s Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde. It’s only 12 minutes long, but it’s a very enjoyable film and a
really good interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella. I definitely
recommend it. Next time we’re going to be heading into the 1920’s, so I hope
you’ll join me then! Until next time!
Watch the film HERE
Watch the 1913 version HERE
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