Again the film is in black and white. There are two assistants Frankenstein s fiancee and the hunchback. Like the original version of Frankenstein the monster is on a platform. It starts off with Frankenstein making a speech out loud talking to the audience. Frankenstein is dressed in hospital white coat with big goggles strapped around a fright wig of hair and a stethoscope. He tells his hunchback assistance to throw the switches and fiancee turns a big wheel. Whilst Frankenstein is talking the monster and he is raised into the stormy night sky to await the lightning strike needed to bring him to life. Music builds up in crescendo. The noises of the chains as they are descended back down. Frankenstein uses his stethoscope to check for the monsters heart beat and thumps the monster to regain his heartbeat. He accepts the experiment is a failure but then over reacts and strangles the monster even though the monster is already dead. Fiancee says, “Don’t kill the monster”. - Adding humour to the scene. Afterwards a scene showing them eating around a table. Showing of the monster’s fingers moving then making growling noises, Frankenstein thought it was the hunchback assistant making yummy sounds. Only after do they realise it is the monster. Dramatic music comes in. They rush to the laboratory and Frankenstein looks upon his creation and screams the traditional declaration: “It's alive!!”
In James Whales version Frankenstein has a distinct English accent (necessary at the time as many audience would not understand speech if delivered with a string accent). He speaks as if he is on the edge of madness. In this film there are people who act as an audience on the screen this is because in the early days of talking movies audiences needed a guide on how to react. Music in “Young Frankenstein” is used to build up tension, to create an atmosphere and to highlight the important parts of the scene. But in the original Frankenstein there is no music Lighting and thunder is used to add atmosphere, to create striking visual effects and to pick out detail of the scenes. Assistants help to roll the blanket, turn the wheel, throw on the switches and sometimes shows them running this is to show they are actually doing something and not just standing there doing nothing. During the creation scene both Frankenstein wear a white coat showing they are scientists. In “Young Frankenstein”, Frankenstein has stethoscope as well and big goggles – wears goggles to show the light is very bright and so the eyes need to be protected. “It’s alive Emphasizes the "horror" of the physical creation of the Monster.
The film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein directed by Kenneth Branagh, 1994 This film is in colour. Starts off with dramatic music very similar to the music used in Batman and the long cape that Victor wears. The creation set in a giant laboratory in the attic of victor’s house A lot of action going on at a rapid pace, with chains rattling, machinery moving, music blasting; the effect being that the audience is swept along with Victor by the changing images, which are cut rhythmically and rapidly, making them forget that this process will in fact create a life. The monster is average height; physically appears more human. Monster is made out of discarded body parts that are stitched together. Eels (which produce electricity) and monster come down a huge tube into a coffin-shaped copper kettle with amniotic fluid. Frankenstein shouts “Live Live!” but monster doesn’t move. Afterwards the monster’s fingers move. The monster moves violently in the copper kettle. The monster is alive. Victor and the naked creature struggle to stand in the fluid. The monster can barely walk never mind stand. Again and again the monster falls down until Victor, taken by horror, speaks, “What have I done?” The experiment is a failure. In his journal he writes, “Massive birth defects. Greatly enhanced physical strength but the resulting re-animant is malfunctional and pitiful, and dead.” The monster is left hanging lifelessly above him. The monster is like a baby, who is just born; the baby cannot walk and is reliant on the parents like the monster relies on Victor to stand. There is no audience since the viewer s is more sophisticated and does not need prompts oh how to react. This scene is seven minutes long and focuses much more on technical detail – uses much more music.
Similarities between the three versions of the film All three versions have the creation set in a laboratory full of different instruments and machinery. James Whale and Mel brooks version have similar settings and the use of lightning as electricity to create life to the monster, whereas Kenneth Branagh version it uses electric eels to create life to the monster. In Kenneth Branagh the monster looks more human but the other two films the monster s do not look human. There are assistants to help Frankenstein in James Whale and Mel brooks, but in Kenneth Branagh he does the experiment by himself. Both Kenneth Branagh and Mel brooks versions have the experiment as a failure at first and Frankenstein is disappointed – the monster has no sign of living. But afterwards the monster does come alive. Also there is music in both of these versions of Frankenstein to add a sense of tension whereas the 1931 film there is no music. All three versions of Frankenstein the first sign of the monster alive is the movement of the fingers and Frankenstein says, “It’s alive”.
The novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley published in 1818
Mary Shelley produces a story “which would speak of the mysterious fears of our natures awaking thrilling horror”. It leads to think are we born evil or made that way by our environment? Is there a soul or are we merely assembled materials? Can man be like a god and create life?
The section dealing with the creation is at the beginning of Chapter 5:
“It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one on the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.
How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God!”
Mary Shelley gives a brief description of the monster, using as little detail as it would seem possible to, so that the features of the monster have to be created by the imagination of the reader. The story does not tell us how the monster was created again the creation would have to be created by the imagination of the reader. The character describes his monster as being 'ugly' and a 'miserable wretch'. He also talks about the 'breathless horror and disgust' that 'filled his heart' when he first saw the monster coming to life. Frankenstein describes the creation of his monster as a 'catastrophe', a pretty clear indication of what he thinks about his creature.
I think the most successful is Kenneth Branagh version of the film because the film is made to look very realistic to the olden days even though it was directed in 1994. I think the features, visual affects and images of the film make the creation very successful. The settings, the monster etc is very different to the other versions it gives the film its own individuality and its own good affects. It would be quite boring if this film were more or less the same as the other two versions. This film gives us a new taste to the creation of a monster.
