Comparative Cinema: The Wolfman

 
 

Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.

 
 
Inspired by my guest post over at EduClaytion and the fact that there are numerous remakes coming soon to cinemas everywhere, I’ve decided to embark on a bit of a comparative review of some of the movies that have been revised, revamped and rebuilt over the years. To kick things off I’ve chosen “The Wolfman”, a movie that was originally released in 1941 and then re-released in 2009.

Naturally, each version revolves around the same theme. They both tell the tale of Lawrence (Larry) Talbot, who returns to his homeland from America after receiving news of his brother’s death. Larry is attacked by a Werewolf and survives but is now cursed to transform into a hairy, bloodthirsty beast each month when the moon is full. Which is a shame, because he was really starting to take a shine to young Gwen Conliffe…