Michael Arruebarrena: The Transformation of the Wolf man

The fact that Lon Chaney, Jr., the actor who plays the Wolf man in the 1941 version, puts on the wolf man makeup and outfit even 30 years after the movie was made brings light onto how revolutionary this movie was. The Wolf man (1941) was the second time a werewolf was put onto the big screen, and, though the effects seem cheap and unrealistic, they were spectacular for the time.

The transformation in the classic film was much more strategic. The frame focuses on Chaney’s feet as he grows hair then walks away. This method was a money and time saving technique. Yet, the transformation was affective and makes the viewer see the wolf man as more human. Also, the story line is held stronger. So the approach is to show the audience that he is changing, then show him completely changed, sort of a way to shock the audience. All of this transformation happening with a film orchestra playing a thrilling score.

When Benicio transforms, his bones realign. His feet bulge out, and he grows sharp fang teeth. Most importantly, the audience sees all of the changes. The effective result is the transformation feels realistic. What the film looses is the stylistic method in capturing a believable transformation without ever really showing any truly realistic effects.

Whether the older or the newer Wolf man is better becomes irrelevant. The times were completely different. The newest version lost its style in the transformation, while the older one was obviously not real. While the newer one gets multiple shots at different angles, the older one tries to keep one continuous show of his transformation illustrating the patience of the time. As the CGI improves, the more our spectators expect real looking, fast-paced special effects.

Nolley, Wolfman Comparison

The Wolfman: 2010
The Wolfman: 1941

The 1941 Wolfman has some elements that the new 2010 version left behind. In the 1941 version the Lon Chaney is seen changing into the wolfman. This change is documented by his feet growing extremely hairy. It can definitely be said that the transformation into the wolfman is most definitely toned down in the 1941 version. This may take away from the overall scariness of the transformation, but it keeps the idea that there is still a man under that fur because his body has not been severely contorted. In the 2010 remake, Benicio Del Toro is extremely frightening when he transforms because of the dramatic changes his body goes through. It was almost too much, the way his fingers bent and how his jaw practically came off of his face. One thing that is worth admiring about the remake is that after he transforms and when the viewer finally sees him in all his glory he is not computer generated. This is reminiscent of classic horror movies where you can tell there’s a person in there. It also helps reinforce that Lawrence Talbot is a wolfman, not just a wolf creature with no obvious human characteristics. While the remake of The Wolfman is indeed more frightening than the original, that does not make it better. The computer generated effects of the remake take away from the genuineness of the film because the audience becomes distracted by what’s fake and what’s real and can lose track of the story itself. The 1941 Wolfman has an originality that the remake could never compare to.

Labbe's Werewolf Comparison

The werewolf film remake is more visually impacting due to the technological advances that have been made after 70 years.

In George Waggner’s 1941 The Wolf Man, viewers see Lon Chaney sit in a chair while his feet grow more hairy in evident multiple shots. Next, we see him as a full furry-faced werewolf with uneven teeth. Waggner spent more time on the transformation from werewolf to man at the end of the film. The shots are still clipped, but the camera angle doesn’t change while the hairy Wolf Man slowly changes back into human Larry.

Waggner might have imagined Joe Johnston’s 2010 The Wolfman, but didn’t have the means to create the nightmare. Past the invention of computers, photo manipulation can help current directors achieve almost any look they imagine.

Johnston imagined a grotesque monster, and the viewer saw it.

The main transformation scene took place in the asylum while he was tied down. The viewer saw Del Toro’s knuckles pop and eyes change shape from human to animal.

Film clarity and stunning effects aside, other elements made the newer version scarier.

In 1941, an average gentleman-looking Lon Chancery Jr. played Larry Talbot. Benicio Del Toro, a man with thick eyebrows and a strong jaw line, played Lawrence Talbot. The second werewolf was more menacing even before any special effects or acting.

In 1941, a fully clothed and clean werewolf ran on tiptoes after his victims. In 2010, the monster ran on all fours in ragged blood stained clothes. The original werewolf caught his victim and held her close as if in an embrace, any violence hidden behind a tree. In the remake, heads were ripped off bodies and red blood sprayed everywhere.

Moises, Wolfman: Then and Now

George Waggner's 1941 film The Wolf Man was a breakthrough feature that set the standard for depicting werewolves in film. The 2010 remake, however, will most probably not have the same legacy. Despite the tremendous improvements in special effects and make up, the original film's transformation was, in my opinion, a lot more powerful than today's CGI and computer engineered transformation. What the original film did was take the little resources they had and used a stop motion type effect to capture the transformation from the feet up. Sure, this doesn't look quite as impressive as a full shot of Benecio del Toro instantly transforming from man to beast, but it did enough to captivate audiences at the time and create a pretty scary monster. This years movie simply did not have the originality and that "it" factor that it takes to be a good horror movie. What I mean is that most good horror movies go as far as they can to show us something we've never seen before. Not necessarily even special effects, but just something we do not expect - this is what makes horror movies scary to us. While it may have looked impressive and cost a lot of money, the transformation in the remake was just completely unmoving. Never at any point was I shocked or scared at what was going on, I just felt like I was seeing a guideline to using cheesy special effects. The original Wolf Man exceeded movie-goer's expectations and broke barriers to create a monster that will forever live on in the horror movie world - something the remake just couldn't do.

Hales, The Wolf Man

Naturally there are many differences between the 1941 version and the 2010 version of The Wolf Man. First one notices that the original is in black and white and the remake is in full color. In the original they do not seem to use lighting techniques or scenery to instigate a feeling of suspense. Instead they use smoke and the soundtrack. The 2010 version makes use of all of these techniques. Another major difference between the two is the change and extension of plot. They only mention the warning poem once in the remake, but many times in the original:

Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night

may become a wolf when the wolf bane

and the autumn moon is bright.

I saw this as a repetitive trick used in the same way as the soundtrack. In the remake they extended the running time substantially, so much so that I lost interest. Also, the changes made to the original plot did not seem to be improvements. The love interest of the wolf man being his brother’s ex-fiancee made me have less sympathy for the characters, whereas the love interest being a local girl in the original was easier to accept. I suppose the twist of the father being the original werewolf in the remake was an improvement, but I definitely saw it coming. I enjoyed the more primitive use of special effects in the original film. It was interesting watching the camera and editing work involved in the wolf man’s transformation. In the remake the transformation was certainly more seamless, but not necessarily superior. Overall, I found the 1941 version of The Wolf Man to be charming, and the 2010 version just cheesy.