How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Frankenstein.
Quote #1
EDWARD VAN SLOAN (AS HIMSELF): We are about to unfold the story of Frankenstein. A man of science, who sought to create a man after his own image, without reckoning upon God. It is one of the strangest tales ever told. It deals with the two great mysteries of creation: life and death.
The introduction to the film suggests that the unfettered pursuit of science is overly prideful, and leads to Frankenstein's fall. But the film itself is more ambivalent. Is Frankenstein flawed because of his pursuit of science? Or is the problem that he treats the poor monster badly, and treats Elizabeth badly, and is generally an unpleasant guy? Is it the science that's the problem, or is the problem that Frankenstein is not a nice person?
Quote #2
FRANKENSTEIN: The neck's broken. The brain is useless. We must find another brain.
Most people would be a little grossed out by the corpse with the broken neck. But Henry has that Mr. Spock matter-of-fact callousness. Welp, this corpse won't work, let's find another. That's the way those cold-blooded scientists roll—in search of brains.
Quote #3
FRANKENSTEIN: Don't touch that! Dr. Waldman. I learned a great deal from you at the University about the violet ray, the ultra-violet ray, which you said was the highest color in the spectrum. You were wrong. Here in this machinery I have gone beyond that. I have discovered the great ray that first brought life into the world.
The other name for "the great ray" is "goofy sci-fi gibberish." It's like hyperspace or warp drive; it's nonsense. The scriptwriters just put random words in there to cover up the fact that the science here is complete silliness. It's mumbo-jumbo mysticism.