Frankenstein, The Film

Frankenstein, 1931 (1 Point)

I'll certainly argue that as iconic the film version of the tale of Frankenstein has become, it is not an adequate adaptation of the text as a whole. Still, it does carry many of the main themes of the Gothic genre such as metonymy, castle settings, power, and emotional intensity. 

The scene in which Henry Frankenstein and his assistant, Fritz, bring the Monster to life utilizes an incredible thunderstorm to stand in as a representation of both the terror and excitement that Henry and his guests feel like the experiment proceeds. Rather than simply have the actors discuss their feelings, it is represented through the inclement weather and increases the apprehension of the characters and audience. This film also utilized a castle-like setting by making Frankenstein's lab in an old stone light tower, which is somewhat maze-like, but also communicates how Frankenstein has isolated himself from the outside world along with his loved ones in order to complete his goals. 

Of course, as soon as the Monster is brought to life, the film depicts through multiple scenes that the creature is far beyond the regular abilities of regular men, where two to three men have to fight him at once and still have issues subduing him. Not to mention the constant tossing of regular people off windmills, hanging assistants, or strangling science professors to death with incredible ease. Even though he didn't have as large of vocabulary as he did in the book, this Monster was still very expressive and had incredible bouts of rage that moved him to commit very violent acts. The concepts of isolative spaces return when Frankenstein is trapped in the windmill far out in the countryside and perishes completely alone and trapped.

With all these examples of how the film is very much representative of the Gothic Genre, here are some other final thoughts that caught my attention:

I was very intrigued by the choice of re-writing the characters for the film adaptation, where the original character from the text of Victor Frankenstein was divided into a Jekyll-and-Hyde-like pair: the good-natured and well-behaved Victor Mortiz and the arrogant and unstable Henry Frankenstein. Even though Henry Frankenstein is still portrayed to be a good man in the film, he still showcases many of the flaws of the original character but is not apologetic or woeful to the degree he was in the book. 

I found the scientific explanation of why the Monster behaves the way he does because of his "criminal brain" to also touch on the scientific aspect that occurs in gothic works, where behaviors that may seem unnatural can be explained rationally by science. It did feel quite ridiculous as a concept though when you compare it to the thrilling drama and complex psyche created by the novel monster.

My last thought: What on Earth was that ending??? I was absolutely dumbfounded that such a plain and underwhelming ended occurred as well, where the book brought such a symbolic and tangible end, this film absolutely squandered the last 10 minutes of the film for a cheap joke and very little resolution for the characters. The rest of the film was fairly amusing and fairly grotesque, I just wish it had stuck the landing when it came to plot resolution.