The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) The Original Universal Monster makes his UK debut (Blu-Ray Review)

It’s a strange, spellbinding experience to witness Lon Chaney’s titular disfigured bell-ringer appear on-screen for the first time, knowing in hindsight that this film, in many ways, was the beginning of blockbuster cinema as we know it today. The first adaptation of many of Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Wallace Worsley’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame would unknowingly be the picture which birthed the Universal Monster cycle of the ‘30s and ‘40s; without Hunchback’s success, there would be no Phantom, no Dracula, no Frankenstein. Further than that, it’s wild to realise that Chaney’s self-applied make-up, still impressive almost a century later, may have kickstarted the idea of movie make-up as we know it today. Perhaps it was Chaney’s work on Hunchback which led, in some way, to the careers of SFX legends such as Rick Baker and Stan Winston.

The story, of course, is a tale as old as time (or 1831, if you want specifics), brought to life by Charles Laughton and Disney alike: the tragedy of Quasimodo (Chaney), a deformed Parisian bell-ringer who resides in the tower of Notre-Dame cathedral, and his fight to save the life of a travelling woman who looked upon him with kindness, the beautiful Esmeralda (played here by Patsy Ruth Miller in her most famous role). A Universal “Super Jewel” production, it’s clear that no expense was spared by the studio in this lavishly designed period piece, from the crowded marketplace to the grand arches and gargoyles of the cathedral itself, this film is a true feat of production design in ways which even most modern Hollywood productions would struggle to rival. The Notre-Dame set itself is so impressive that you might well be led to believe that the film was shot on location. Inevitably, from a modern-day perspective, it can’t help but be a little haunting to see this gorgeous depiction of the once-grand cathedral following the devastating fire damage that the landmark sustained in 2019 – but, I suppose, in a bittersweet kind of way, that only lends more to the sense of awe emitted by the film’s stunning gothic set design.

Of course, the true special effect of the film is Chaney’s Quasimodo, and not just in regard to his impressive make-up job. Chaney, the character-acting legend later known as “the Man of a Thousand Faces”, is extraordinarily emotive and energetic in this role which made him an international superstar. At one moment leaping from wall to wall (an impressive feat considering the large hump applied to his back) and the next recoiling in quiet shock and sadness upon witnessing the cruelties of the world, it’s no wonder why he quickly became a household name in horror. Sadly, his lovable recluse appears far less than the title would have you believe, with him being pushed to the side for most of the runtime in favour of a focus on the drama of the “normal” people in the story. Miller does a fine enough job as Esmeralda, as do the rest of the cast in their respective roles, but they don’t captivate the same way that Chaney does. With all due respect to Worsley, audiences don’t exactly flock to The Hunchback of Notre Dame for a down-to-Earth historical drama about everyday folks – they come for a celebration of what it is to be an outcast, to be a freak.

Unfortunately, not all of the film has aged quite as finely as its technical elements, which isn’t unexpected for a film which turns 100 years old in 2023 but disappointing nonetheless. The film is full of negative stereotypes of Romani travellers, depicted as unwashed baby-stealing criminals, and even the sympathetically-portrayed Esmeralda spends the entire film seeking to escape and erase her cultural background in favour of the Christian faith. Many of these elements were admittedly present in the source text, but become far worse through the film’s outright refusal to even suggest the idea of corruption in the church that is so key to Hugo’s story. The novel’s character of Archdeacon Frollo, a corrupt and lustful priest, is split into two separate siblings in this adaptation with very blunt black-and-white opposing moral values (even indicated through their costumes), with only the “good” brother retaining his connection to the cloth. Perhaps most uncomfortable of all is the romance between Esmeralda and royal guard Phoebus (portrayed by regular Chaney co-star Norman Kerry). Explicitly portrayed to be one-sided and unhealthy, to begin with, and how the film treats Phoebus’s uncaring attitude towards the woman who loves him as being a perfectly normal and healthy trait for a lead protagonist shouldn’t be questioned.

Nonetheless, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an entertaining film to this day, held up by Chaney’s groundbreaking performance and the superb Universal backlot sets. It’s a decent first entry in a cycle which would go on to include some of the greatest and most iconic creature features ever made, and even if it isn’t one of the best of its horror contemporaries (not even compared to Chaney’s own The Phantom of the Opera two years later), it is undeniably a key title in the history and evolution of genre cinema, not to mention film in general.

With this new Blu-Ray release by Eureka Video as part of their long-running Masters of Cinema range, restored lovingly in 4K, the gothic towers of Notre Dame that Quasimodo calls home have never been so beautiful; for a film of its age, it is a miracle that The Hunchback of Notre Dame is available in such crisp and clear quality. The highlight of Eureka’s release, however, is the score by Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum and Laura Karpman, which is a perfect tonal accompaniment to the film’s striking silent images. For fans of silent horror, this UK Blu-Ray debut of Lon Chaney’s breakout film finally gives this classic the treatment it deserves.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

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