Dr. Jekyll and; Mr.Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1931 American Pre-Code horror film directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Fredric March. The film is an adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), the Robert Louis Stevenson tale of a man who takes a potion which turns him from a mild-mannered man of science into a homicidal maniac. March’s performance has been much lauded, and earned him his first Academy Award.

There are several screen versions based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic. Ths film version is the most highly acclaimed ,although I would also recommend taking a look at the silent screen version, 1920, starring John Barrymore (Drew Barrymore’s grandfather.)

Although this film might see very dated and corny to you, at the time it was highly acclaimed for its use of special effects and for the performance of Fredric March.

Themes of the story:

Identity & Chaos

Identity & duplicity

Man’s dual nature

Tampering with “God’s design”

The power of evil to consume and overpower good

The true nature of human existence

You are to select one of the above themes—OR CREATE A THEME OF YOUR OWN. Compare and Contrast to a modern version of Jekyll and Hyde; for example, Walter White of Breaking Bad could be considered to be a Jekyll/Hyde. Or- what about a female version? There’s a Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde from 1995; it’s a comedy. Then there’s the trashy Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) a type of transgender version that’s an exploitation film. You could also compare/contrast J&H to other gothic or horror that you have read or viewed.

Then select a scene from the film that illustrates your theme. Post 4-5 paragraphs