The Wolf Man (1941) : A Haunting Allegory of Sin and Redemption

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Romans 7:15, 19)

With those words, St. Paul poignantly encapsulates one of the most horrific truths of the human condition: the universality of sin. No matter how holy we are, no matter how much we want to follow Jesus’ command to “be perfect” (Matthew 5:48), we all fall short. We all sin from time to time (and sometimes a bit more often than that!), and for those of us trying to follow Christ, this sad fact is a heavy burden. It makes us want to cry out like Paul himself just a few verses later, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:25).

Unsurprisingly, artists of all stripes have tried to capture this harrowing truth in various ways, and for my money, one of the most moving attempts is the classic horror film The Wolf Man. It tells the story of Larry Talbot, a man cursed to roam the streets as a wolf and commit grisly murders when the moon is full, and despite his best efforts, he’s powerless to stop these periodic transformations. It’s an almost perfect allegory for our struggle with sin, and the movie depicts that battle with a heart-breaking honesty few other films have ever achieved.

“Even a Man Who Is Pure in Heart”
Normally, I’d start this article with a brief overview of the movie’s plot, but I don’t think that’s necessary here. The Wolf Man is a very straightforward werewolf story, so if you’re familiar with basic werewolf lore, you know what this film is about. Instead, I want to begin with a short poem that we hear repeated a number of times throughout the movie:

“Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”

When we first hear these words, their meaning seems clear enough. They tell us that purity of heart doesn’t counteract the werewolf’s curse. If you’ve been bitten by one of these creatures, you’re going to turn into a wolf “when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright,” whether you’re a good person or not.

But the next time these verses pop up in The Wolf Man, they take on another, much deeper meaning. There’s a scene where Larry’s father tells his son that the werewolf myth is “an ancient explanation of the dual personality in each of us,” and instead of explaining what this “dual personality” is, he simply recites the poem about a pure man becoming a wolf.

For him, these words don’t just mean that the curse can overpower a pure heart. Rather, they tell us that the whole idea of werewolves is a metaphor for our “dual personality.” It’s a stark, horrific representation of our baser nature, our propensity to sin, and no matter how good we may be, each one of us has a dark, sinful side that rears its ugly head every now and then.

And in case you’re still not convinced, The Wolf Man eventually pulls back the curtain entirely and makes its message impossible to miss. In the film’s second act, Larry’s father straight up says that werewolves represent “the good and evil in every man’s soul,” and that seals the deal for us. By repeating this idea multiple times, the movie makes it clear that this is in fact its central theme, so the entire story is essentially an allegory for St. Paul’s famous words about the universality of sin.

Larry Talbot’s Struggle
All that being said, a film can’t get by on its message alone. It also has to bring that message to life in a memorable way, and on that count, The Wolf Man succeeds brilliantly. Once Larry Talbot realizes that he’s a werewolf, the curse causes him untold anguish. Like I said before, the man doesn’t want to turn into a monster and murder people, but he’s completely powerless to stop his nighttime killing sprees.

It’s an utterly heartbreaking turn of events, and legendary horror actor Lon Chaney Jr. portrays the character’s torment beautifully. To be fair, his performance can be a bit wooden at times, especially in the early scenes, but once the story really kicks into gear, Chaney is fantastic. Everything about him, from the tone of his voice to his facial expressions, bespeaks a soul in tremendous pain, so you’ll almost feel Larry’s agony yourself.

The man practically embodies St. Paul’s cry, “Who will deliver me from this body of death,” so if you’ve ever struggled with sin (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t?), The Wolf Man is sure to resonate with you on a deep level. It’s a poignant metaphor for a cross every Christian has to bear, so despite being over 80 years old, this is still one of the best and most relatable movies the horror genre has ever produced.