Great cinematographers rarely make brilliant transitions to the director’s chair, but Karl Freund’s few horror films as director (particularly this one as well as MAD LOVE/'35 & the rarely screened, but nifty little musical MOONLIGHT & PRETZELS/'33) are each oddly mesmerizing. Compared to other titles in the ranks of Universal horror classics (FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, WEREWOLF, INVISIBLE MAN) the MUMMY is light on thrills & chills, aiming instead for a kind of perverse poetic longing. With it’s dreamy dramatic pacing, exquisite art decoration & lighting, as well as Boris Karloff’s wonderfully tactile perf (both wrapped and unwrapped), plus Zita Johann ’s wide-eyed allure, the film is closer to an objet d’art than a typical commercial feature. Only Edgar Ulmer’s THE BLACK CAT/'34, also with Karloff, is comparable. Make the effort to adjust your pace to the film's creepy crawl and THE MUMMY can easily get under your skin.
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