This is not a film about terror, nor will it strike fear
into your heart. It is the sort of horror film that reaches deeper, because it
is a tragedy. I picked this movie to highlight for the week, because I believe
it is one of Karloff’s best performances.
I feel like with all the hundreds of pictures from this
period, the title is almost misleading. Even the description can’t do it justice:
John Ellman is wrongfully executed and brought back from the dead by a
scientific experiment, and then pursues those who were responsible for his
death.
BUT…it’s good that the description is misleading. It’s good
that the true story isn’t revealed, at least not the ending. There’s more
character in this movie than you would expect, and it is most certainly not the
sort of film that deserves to be batched up in a 50-movie monster pack. So much
is conveyed through the experiences of this good man, which builds into a
wonderful piece.
At the end, you’re left with two questions: should one be
brought back from death after having experienced it and when someone commits a
truly despicable act, is he his own worst judge? I wish more people knew about
this picture, because it truly deserves to be ranked among the top horror films
of all time, if not films in general. I wish I had a copy of this so I could do
the review justice with more screenshots, but hopefully this powerful clip will
do.
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