Second Viewing: The Mummy (1959)
For a movie made in the 1950s, it’s surprising to see such modern philosophical and ethical debates brought up. The debate over the British Museum’s right to many of their artifacts is still raging today, and it’s a theme in this movie, and lends motivation to one of the key villains.
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At the end of the day, though, this is a mummy movie, and a very good one. But you kind of know what you’re getting just from who the monster is.
Peter Cushing is quite good in the movie, and a highlight for me was the squibs used on the Mummy costume. There’s no blood or anything, but it’s still pretty great.
It’s certainly an entertaining movie, but it does slow down a good deal in the middle when there are two pretty lengthy flashbacks presented in quick succession. They’re essential for exposition, but I just wish they had a way around this.
Rating: 7/10
