Although much maligned and virtually forgotten, this 1972 offering is my favorite cinematic telling of the Jekyll/Hyde saga. I have the U.K. Region 2 release rather than the Region 1 Image Entertainment DVD. The print quality is glorious and it’s a lot cheaper too. I like this version because it is the most faithful rendering of the story to date. It also has one of Christopher Lee’s very best performances, is beautifully photographed in such a way that allows it to be in 2-D and 3-D simultaneously (known as the Pulfrich Effect ), and has a wonderful, atmospheric score from Carl Davis of silent movie fame.
But just because I really like it doesn’t mean that many others will. It is very slow moving, has no romantic interest, no gore, and features an astonishingly literate script. Think of it as a MASTERPIECE version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story. Not what you would call a strong selling point for today’s average horror movie fan. The adaptation/screenplay is from Milton Subotsky, co-founder of Amicus Productions who are better known for their multi-story films like DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD. The title, I, MONSTER, is Subotsky’s and was a play on words of the Roger Corman film, I, MOBSTER.
Which brings us to the most curious aspect of this production. Why are the characters called Dr Marlowe and Mr Blake? Subotsky utilizes the other character names from the story (Poole, Utterson, Lanyon) but not Jekyll and Hyde. Known for his tight purse strings, my guess is that he didn’t want to pay extra to use them because of copyright issues although Christopher Marlowe is known for DR FAUSTUS and William Blake for his sensual poetry. The production is a low budget one which makes it truly remarkable that it looks as good as it does. A lot of that has to do with Amicus using the still standing sets from 1968’s blockbuster musical OLIVER.
The introduction of Freudian psychology into the script works very well as does the fact that Jekyll/Marlowe injects himself like an addict rather than drinking the traditional potion. Lee’s transformations are restrained and his alter ego make-up is very believable. Peter Cushing gives his usual fine performance but this is really the Christopher Lee show. Kudos to director Stephen Weeks for crafting a quality adaptation with very little money. If possible try and get the Region 2 version. To utilize the faux 3-D/Pulfrich effect, cover your right eye only with a sunglasses lens. Then you can really see all that this film has to offer.
The Capsule Critic 