Lugosi’s way-out performance comes at a price. It is nearly impossible to care about his character, because Lugosi gives us very little humanity in which we can invest our sympathies. Almost from the first frame, we realize this man is criminally insane. But halfway through the film, we begin to realize that it is not a story about Dr. Vollin’s unrequited love for a woman, but rather the story of Edmund Bateman’s march toward redemption. Karloff somehow remains human, even under one of the most disgusting makeup jobs ever seen in a Universal film. He barely speaks above a whisper and has little dialogue once he has undergone the surgery, and yet he is the most likable and sympathetic figure in the film. None of the other characters or actors even matter - this film belongs to Lugosi and Karloff, and it is only their performances that we remember when the film is over.
Lugosi and Karloff teamed up a few more times over the years, and althugh Karloff would never be anything less than superb, Lugosi was often unimpressive, either due to the boring roles he had to play or a distinct lack in his performances. THE RAVEN would remain their best collaboration.
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