How effectively does the director create sympathy for the creature in Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein?
Mary Shelley produced the unique novel Frankenstein in the eighteenth century which not only addressed the issue of scientific advances created by man but also set out to find the answers that people of her time wanted. It was unique in the sense that creating life was an aspect that not many people would have considered thinking about, let alone writing about. Frankenstein’s creature is commonly thought of as being a monster, however in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the novel, he uses numerous techniques to create sympathy for the creature. A major theme throughout the book was the treatment of the poor and uneducated. It proved that people were prejudice against those who weren’t as rich, clever or even in the novel’s case, beautiful. Before we even see the film, we are already prejudice against the creation due to the gothic horror genre which we automatically begin relating it to dark, evil and mysterious scenes.
Kenneth Branagh uses many techniques to begin to create sympathy, one of which being symbolism which is used throughout the entire film. In the birth scene, where the creature is first brought to life, it seems that Victor Frankenstein’s monster is actually being born. The amniotic fluid and the metal container in which the creature is enclosed are compared to a real birth with the container symbolising a womb. It contains the amniotic fluid which Victor earlier says is needed to create life. When the creature is actually born, it is unable to stand similar to a newly born baby. This creates sympathy as it is literally being given birth to and like a baby, is innocent and helpless it relates to use as it is not a monster but in-fact an infant something that without influence is completely harmless and no less a human. Later the creature is being compared to Jesus. It was hanging helplessly in the chains, almost as if on the crucifix, and later comes back to life. Jesus was our savior and was given to this world by un-natural means by God. This is similar as the creature is created and not born. This evokes sympathy from the audience as it would seem that it had been killed innocently, having just been born. At the moment of its birth, the creature was entirely benevolent and innocent, even if he looked hideous; he had the same innocence as a newborn child. He did not understand anything, but tried to learn everything, he was born in to the world by a painful and horrific way.