The Man They Could Not Hang

This movie, similarly to its main anti-hero, was somewhat ahead of its time. The scientific taboos that Boris Karloff’s character struggles to destroy in the name of human enlightenment (using unfortunate ways) are in some obvious aspects similar to several current actions of today’s modern medicine (of course, only partially). Interestingly, Dr Savaard’s appealing opinions and convincing arguments would make it difficult to label the character as a bad guy. For the thirties, the film introduces an unusually complex tragic personality which is all but black-and-white. For one, the man’s psychological evolution is plausible and his vindictive motives in the second part of the story are fully understandable and, what’s more, you find yourself wishing that all ends well for him. And the last act has some serious kick. (05/01/2020)