Curious Case of Filming Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: 1920 versus 2008

Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has evolved into one of the most acclaimed pieces of modern literature. One aspect of this phenomenon is a continual spark of interest with the novel is motion pictures. Various directors through the years have interpreted the book through their own eyes and the following is a depiction of that. One might question Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's overwhelming success. Theme restaurants, Broadway shows and movies all have indicated a public interest in the classic. This essay will examine how various cinematic microelements contributed to vastly different artistic productions of approximately the same plot a century apart.

The first movie that I decided to use for this examination is the 1920 restored version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, directed by John S. Robertson. I thought that Robertson's attempt to...
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