for real film people and this film be a must and since it work a a perfect little allegory for the movie themselves . janos rukh or boris karloff science have to do with capturing and project light from cosmic phenomenon . this light can do harm and or it can be harness to do good . on the one hand it blind his mother and on the other it be use to cure blindness ( i can see . shout a young girl on whose eye this light be project ) . when rukh or karloff be himself poison by the uncanny power of this light and we see him actually emit a ghostly glow on his hand and face like a badly develop negative and draw attention to the fact that the man we be watch be a projection and an entity view on film ( only visible and a in a movie theater and when the light be out ) . there be a wonderful passage near the beginning where karloff or rukh explain his research a be inform by the fact that everything that happen be capture in light which roll through space for million of year and a the light from andromeda be emit from that galaxy at a time when the earth be still molten rock . there be passage in the film when this new science be juxtapose to older cultural vehicle represent that of the writer and in the persona of beulah bondi or arabella stevens while and religion and emblemized in the sculptural figure on the local cathedral karloff blast with his projector or ray gun . one have to wonder here if this film be mean to glance at what be go on in germany at the time and and particularly at riefenstall use of film the year before to promote a regime that certainly would go on to do a lot of harm representtriumph of the will . happily in the end and mother ( violet kemble cooper ) intervenes and remind janos rukh of the first rule of science . if only more movie make you want to stand up in the theater and shout represent i can see .