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Young Frankenstein (1974)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
11/02, 4/04, 2/24
2/24:
Talk about a perfect film because everything came together so well.
It's best to view Young Frankenstein as a mildly amusing spoof of the Universal horror classic pictures rather than an
uproariously funny comedy. If there's anything that's off-putting, it's the sex stuff, but I'll let it slide.
1974 was a brutally competitive year, so don't be surprised that Gene Wilder wasn't Oscar-nominated. He did deserve it. The
cast is impeccable as well. You can't make up Marty Feldman, who's absolutely brilliant, because his eyes were like that
for real. By the way, I didn't realize the blind man was played by Gene Hackman.
Then, there's the outstanding writing by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks. The idea actually originated through Gene Wilder who called
the film his all-time favorite. What's remarkable is how the characters deliver their lines; it's deliberately paced with
high emphasis on certain words. Take that away, and a lot of the comedic effect would've been lost.
The third important contribution is the black-and-white cinematography, It's simply beautiful. The lighting and the interior
sets...my goodness. In fact, I've never seen it done this way in other films except for maybe
Ed Wood.
All in all, it's not out of the question that Young Frankenstein is the best movie Mel Brooks has ever made.