Crime Today News
Guillermo del Toro’s version of Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein has several new elements and plot beats, but the film stays faithful to the source material in one key respect. Both Shelly and del Toro feel deeply for the hideous Creature, who is forced to come into the world because of an unholy act of hubris.
Shelley’s novel is the strange tale of the scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a humanoid entity through forbidden experiments. Although Frankenstein rejects his creation, the Creature won’t let him be. Having developed the ability to speak, and eventually think, the Creature upbraids his maker for abandoning him. In a sub-plot, Frankenstein asks for a female companion who will be just like him, which spooks Frankenstein.
Written in 1818, the evocative book led to film adaptations during the silent era. In 1931, American director James Whale made Frankenstein, whose visual styles and conventions are still considered iconic: the dramatic moment when the Creature come to life, his flat-headed and dead-eyed appearance, his perilous encounter with other people.
A scene in which the Creature plays with an innocent girl, only to toss her into a pond because he doesn’t know the extent of his strength, is one of the film’s most shattering moments.
James Whale followed up Frankenstein with Bride of Frankenstein in 1935. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff returned as the scientist and the Creature, respectively. The sequel vastly improved on its predecessor in terms of its practical effects, cinematography and staging.
Bride of Frankenstein can be rented from Prime Video. The film begins with a framing scene that reveals how Shelley came up with the idea for the book during a stormy night. The previous movie suggested that the monster had died. Not only is the Creature very much alive, but is also on a murder spree.
Although chastened by his previous encounter with the Creature – called the Monster in the film – Frankenstein can’t resist another bash at tinkering. He teams up with his mentor Septimus, who has himself created homunculi – miniature humans who can perform basic actions. Meanwhile, the Monster rampages through the countryside, horrifying everybody he meets, except a blind man.
Bride of Frankenstein is a gripping narrative filled with gloomy lighting, unnerving compositions and eccentric characters. Although made several decades ago, the movie retains its power to shock, and chill.
Unlike del Toro’s movie, which was recently premiered on Netflix, or some other adaptations, Bride of Frankenstein doesn’t romanticise the Creature too much or downplay his violent tendencies. Mary Shelley’s piercing exploration of the consequences of playing God is most acutely felt in the climax of Bride of Frankenstein, when the Bride comes into view.
The movie doesn’t go as far as Shelley does – in that respect, it is a lot like del Toro’s Frankenstein, which gives the Creature a shot at redemption denied by his creator.
Also read:
📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC
Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting
