Screenwriter Curt Siodmak originally wroteThe Wolf Manas a terrifying allegory for his experiences as a Jewish man living through the horrors of World War II. One of Universal’s earliest and most iconic monster movies,1941’sThe Wolf Manrevolves around Larry Talbot, played by Lon Chaney, Jr., who returns to his ancestral home in Wales to deal with his brother’s death and reconnect with his estranged father, Sir John, played by Claude Rains. One night, in the foggy forest, he gets attacked by a werewolf and gradually transforms into a monster.
The Wolf Manis a doomed romanceabout unrequited love, but it also has a haunting subtext that reflects one of history’s worst travesties. All the best horror moviesuse their fictional monsters to comment on the very real monsters in society. The embalmed hand that communicates with the dead inTalk to Meis a metaphor for addiction. The sexually transmitted demon inIt Followsis a metaphor for sexually transmitted diseases. And the werewolf curse inThe Wolf Manis a metaphor for the persecution of Jewish people in the Second World War.
1941’s The Wolf Man Was Secretly About Jews In World War II
The Story Reflects Curt Siodmak’s Fear Of Being Hunted And Killed
Siodmak wrote his screenplay forThe Wolf Manto reflect his fears as a Jewish man during World War II. Siodmak was born in Dresden, Germany, and after hearing an anti-Semitic rant by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, he made the wise decision to emigrate to England, where he made a living as a screenwriter. The anxiety of living through a time when one of the most powerful men in the world was trying to exterminate his entire ethnic group made its way into his writing. He conceived the werewolf curse as an allegory for his Jewish identity.
Wolf Man’s Opening Scene Is What The Rest Of The Movie Should Have Been
The opening scene of the Wolf Man reboot is tense, atmospheric, and mysterious. It writes a check that the rest of the movie can’t cash.
According to Constantine Nasr, the producer of making-of documentaries aboutThe Wolf Man(via theLos Angeles Times),the original title of Siodmak’s script wasDestiny. He saw it as “the story of an outsider whose destiny was cursed by forces he could not control.” As the curse takes hold of Larry, it dawns on him that there’s “no way out.” After his transformation, Larry is relentlessly hunted down. This reflects the experiences of Jewish people who had to go into hiding in Nazi-occupied Europe, living in constant fear that they would be found by the Germans and killed.
Chaney reprised his role as the Wolf Man in four more Universal monster movies.
The pentagram on Larry’s hand — the symbol that identifies him as “the other” — is a substitute for the Star of David. Nasr clarified thatbeing “cursed” isn’t how Siodmak felt about being Jewish, but rather “how he felt others perceived him” in the time of Nazi propaganda. Whereas other Universal monster movies of that period, likeDraculaandFrankenstein, were based on existing source material like books and plays,The Wolf Manwas unique in that it was an original story. It came straight from Siodmak’s imagination (and his very real fears).
Werewolf Movies Have Been Able To Focus On Plenty Of Themes And Morals
Werewolf Movies Are Rarely Just About Werewolves
Siodmak’s deeply personal, thematically rich script forThe Wolf Manestablished that the werewolf genre could be about so much more than just werewolves.Dog Soldiersis about the camaraderie between soldiers and the trauma of warfare.The Howlingsatirizes the rich indulging their most animalistic desires. InAn American Werewolf in London, David’s slow, painful transformation into a werewolf represents the release of anger and devastation following his best friend’s untimely demise. EvenTeen Wolf, one of the goofiest werewolf movies ever made, explores puberty and coming-of-age.
Siodmak’s deeply personal, thematically rich script for The Wolf Man established that the werewolf genre could be about so much more than just werewolves.
And it’s not just confined to werewolf movies;all kinds of horror movies have been used to convey social commentary. In the 1980s, vampire movies were used to comment on the AIDS crisis.Rosemary’s Babyis a commentary on the patriarchy and the institutional control of women’s bodily autonomy.Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero’s zombie movie where hordes of the undead instinctively swarm to an abandoned mall, is a commentary on consumerism.The Wolf Manwas one of the first horror movies to carry a secondary meaning, but it was far from the last.
How 2025’s Wolf Man Continues The Legacy Of 1941’s Film
2025’s Wolf Man Has Its Own Deeper Themes
Much like the original 1941The Wolf Man— and much likeLeigh Whannell’s previous horror reboot,The Invisible Man— 2025’sWolf Mandeals with complex dramatic themes under the surface of its creature-feature thrills. It explores the themes of parental rage and generational trauma through the lens of a werewolf story.Blake Lovell’s dad becomes a werewolfand terrorizes him, then he becomes a werewolf and terrorizes his own daughter, continuing the cycle of toxic parenting. More than 80 years after Siodmak wrote the original,The Wolf Man’s tradition of deeper meanings continues.
