Going into this Halloween season, I've been quite surprised by the sheer number of films I had never even heard of that reside within Universal's famous Monster Universe. Perhaps some of this comes from some films being centred around more famous books and stories that have seen a plethora of adaptations throughout the years, whereas others basically saw just the one release and weren't from such famous stories featuring such huge characters. Though I find myself more interested in these smaller stories, they seem a bit more original given it's a telling of something I'm completely new to. It's quite exciting to jump into them not really knowing what to expect and getting quite pleasantly surprised. And that brings me to 1934's The Black Cat. A story that still holds all the right elements of a Halloween film.
Now, this is a title that isn't quite fitting for the Monster Universe that falls under the same area as Frankenstein and Dracula (even if it does feature a role from Lugosi himself). This is more on the thriller and psychological side of things in comparison. And many might argue that this falls under the comedy genre as well as horror. I do agree with some of that sentiment. It's still a film riddled with its horror elements, but nothing that pertains to the realm of the supernatural. Instead, it's the horrors of mankind. The dangers of people, particularly the dangers of those who have fallen into brainwashing. Cultist mentalities.
The Black Cat
The Black Cat is certainly a psychological horror, but it is one that holds connections to the horrors that came just over a decade before: the First World War. Much like the many films to come just over a decade later, it speaks on the difficulties of the political and personal traumas that came from the conflict. Starting with a joyful couple that are placed into the same train room as a strange individual that claims to be a psychiatrist. The initial setup of the narrative starting here with the mentions of the First World War, and how the psychiatrist had spent many years as a prisoner of war not far from Lake Baikal. His intent being to visit a friend of his from many years ago. Much like many horror titles to come, the story begins under harsh weather, leading to an accident that places them under the desperate protection of the stranger, who takes them to his nearby friend's home.
Leading to this, there's of course more narration on the horrors of the First World War. On how many thousands of lives had been lost nearby. How one man had built his own upon the ruins of a fort that had been impacted by the conflict. This, of course, speaking about the stranger's friend. At the house it pursues the narrative of revenge, with Poelzig (the house owner) accused of leading the men to their deaths as a traitorous act. Werdegast (psychiatrist guy played by Lugosi) seemingly heavily unstable from the start. This is where the psychological aspects of the film really come into play. Where various manipulations take place as the unsuspecting couple end up caught between the drama between the two characters; additional horrors discovered not long after.
For a film of its runtime (it's just around 70 minutes), it's actually packed with various insane acts. And it'd take me forever to cover the story, arguably with the events after everything I mentioned being where the film really picks up, particularly in the areas of cultism, and how the couple find themselves caught up in a scheme they have absolutely no business being part of. It's quite a smart narrative for a film of the era, where the film industry still hadn't taken much of a dive into the psychological realm of storytelling still. With this ultimately setting the stage in various ways. Primarily the cinematography, the themes used to combine the two and create something more unsettling, but also the use of its music to amplify those themes. I think a reason for the film not quite staying relevant throughout the years is its narrative though.
As I mentioned before it's a story that is heavily surrounded by the harsh acts of the First World War. This is something that definitely cements the film within a certain time period, beyond the fact that it's clearly a film from the 1930s. Another reason why so many other films that have stories or characters with relation to the First and Second World War tend to fade off out of relevancy. Whereas something like Dracula remains timeless. Nonetheless, it's a very impressive film. One that definitely set the stage for a new type of film, and a different type of genre.
It's through this side of things that the film constantly feels like it's going in different directions, a revenge story that turns into a cult narrative. A bit convoluted at times.