The first impression I get from this movie is that the amount of werewolf background or exposition is negligable. That is to say, they don't focus as much on the history as they do on the effect it has on Lon Chaney's character.
The great part of this film is that it gets started right away. Chaney's character is bit within the first 10 minutes of the movie. After that, there are some dragging parts where Talbot (Chaney's character) tries half-heartedly to convince everyone that he only killed a wolf, not the gypsy Bela, played by horror film legend Bela Legosi, who is almost a cameo in the film. His lack of screen time is regrettable, considering his potential in a great classic such as this.
The "romance" between Talbot and Gwen Conliffe (played by Evelyn Ankers) is short-lived and painfully lacking. It seems less a romance than a forced lustful affair, considering she is engaged to another. Of course, all of these lacking performances and content could be attributed to the run time of only 70 minutes.
The makeup is shockingly impressive for its time. Although Chaney looks like he's been painted up in black-face, the time and effort that went into his makeup and costume is respectable, especially the work down on his wolf-like feet. The death scenes are questionable and unreal but, then again, they weren't big into blood and gore back in 1941.
Ultimately, the film climaxes with a painful look between a dying Talbot and his father, which turns out to be heartbreakingly tragic.
Overall, considering the time and budget, The Wolfman is an unforgettable classic that set the stage for other werewolf movies. While it leaves much to be desired, there came to be plenty of sequels to make up for that.
- Melissa Bonta
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