In this film language is very important. It helps the films integrity as gothic horror film, as apposed to horror. The language used at the beginning is telling a story, e.g. Frankenstein telling his past. During the film the language is very proper, it is very appropriate for the period it is set in. Of course it isn’t exactly perfect due to the marketing area of things. The film is set up so the language used is very horrific. It refers to different parts of the body and how they would put them together; this is all done very graphically. In the film Frankenstein is referred to as a mad man many times during the film, this is done to get the outsider message across. Also his relatives always describe him often very smart with great dreams. This is before he reveals his dreams of human reanimation. The language used during this film shows very strange ideas and the different ideas of society during that time period and today. This shows the two extreme cases of these outcasts. Someone who is very smart and wants to do too much to continue some ones works, and the oppression of people who look and act differently. These are two cases of oppression sort today.
Different parts have been put in for affect. Such as the droning screams. Every time there is a scream it doesn’t quite sound human but it doesn’t sound like an animal. It is very unexplainable to the characters and gives a thought of wonder to the audience. For instance the screams at the start, from the ice-lands where the film begins, is very uneasy for the people upon the boat. Although Frankenstein knows what it is he does not explain quickly he uses the entire length of the film to truly explain what is out there. This gives the film great suspense and also sets up the ending very well. The droning screams keep people on the edge all through the film; this is done so by making people believe there truly some sort of monster outside. There are other instances during the film where language and other devices are used to keep the audience watching and in suspense. Such as when Frankenstein and Elizabeth are at the docks, when Frankenstein is searching out side in the rain, there is a scream. This shows Frankenstein where the monster is. There are other instances where different devices are used to scare the audience.
In this version of Frankenstein, there are a lot of dramatic devices used. This is probably done to get the authenticity of the book across. To get the chilling story across Kenneth Branagh had to use different types of devises to show that this was in fact a story and not events occurring at the present for the characters. Also the room that Frankenstein is first introduced in is the biggest in the house. Although it is very large it contained surprisingly little. This may be done to show the fact that is a story and maybe Frankenstein couldn’t remember all the furniture in the rooms, but instead could only remember the important things, such as the piano. When Frankenstein moves away, his house and the town he lives in is very dark and is plagued with outbursts of disease. It has a lot of peasants and many people die there. This shows the amount of death in one place, also that in this town of death, Frankenstein is trying to create life.
Also dramatic devises are used to show how different people in the world ay react to different things, for instance when Frankenstein is first presented, you see him as a child. This is done to present the innocence of children, which is used throughout the book. When Frankenstein’s younger brother dies, many people look to him as the sign of life after his mother dies. There aren’t many instances that you hear people blame the boy for the mother’s death. Frankenstein as a child also shows how people can change due to different circumstances in their life. Frankenstein’s mother’s death changes him into something completely different. Without the death of his mother Frankenstein would not have sort the human reanimation process. He believes that if he can save or create life through this process that no one would ever have to go through the loss he did. This change is also presented in the monster. He begins as child trapped in a mans body. He doesn’t ‘remember’ how to speak. He is very lost in the world. This probably wouldn’t have happened if the Frankenstein hadn’t abandoned him. This probably wouldn’t have affected him as much if the town’s people hadn’t chased him. If someone had reached out to the monster instead of trying to beat him, he may not of sort revenge on Frankenstein. As the monster grows, he remembers different skills and uses them. By this time he has already been lost to cruelty of the world and decides to attack his creator, who never really believed that it was a good idea to create the beast. This results in lots of rage towards Frankenstein but at the end of the film he still refers to Frankenstein as his father. This shows that the two are alike in some ways and the monster still has compassion and emotion.
Other dramatic devices are used to make people seem better or to affect the story line of the film. When Frankenstein is in the Lecture hall, he is placed at the top. This is done to show the audience and the characters that maybe Frankenstein thinks that he is better than him and believes himself some sort of godlike figure.
Other affects are used. Such as the lightning flashes and the thunder when Frankenstein attempts to create the monster and when he tries to reanimate Elizabeth. Thunder, Lightning and loud noises are done to show the audience that what Frankenstein is doing is wrong. Hundreds of years ago, thunder and lightning were controlled by gods, and would be used if some terrible was happening. This is also being used in this instance, as if to say god is against this idea.
Other devices are used, for example the look of the monster. The monster could have looked very normal if the surgery went correctly, the stitch marks could have been disguised. This isn’t done due to the reanimation but also done so that people would be afraid of the monsters appearance. This results in him being outcast by humans. The look of Elizabeth when she is reanimated, she looks very different. Her face is extremely scared due to Frankenstein’s attempts to revive her. Of course how could this be the result if he hadn’t put different body parts together and simply revived her, it is done to give the effect of Frankenstein’s mistake in creating something that should never have been.
Also music plays a big part in this film. The music for the parts before Frankenstein’s mother’s death is very happy and usually played on a piano. After and during his mother dies, it is often very heavy music and very loud. This is done to give the affect of panic and death. When Frankenstein first attempts to create the monster, the music is very loud, when he believes he has failed to create the monster, he first looks into the coffin and nothing happens. The music then stops as Frankenstein looks into the coffins windows. As he looks at the monster it seems that nothing is going to happen. As there is silence and suspense, the monsters eyes suddenly open and the music starts again very loud and slow. It gives a sudden shock to the audience. Then the suspense builds up again. The music is usually used to relive the suspense built up during the film. This is of course in the most suspending parts. The other times music is used it is usually based upon the feeling that Frankenstein has at that particular time during the film. The music is often orchestrated giving a very gothic feel to the film.
There are also different sound effects used to give dramatic affect throughout the film. Many of these would obviously never have been heard but they are put in to give the suspense. Such as his fathers wails when his mother has just died. They to don’t sound like human screams. This is done to give the affect that everyone has a dark side or a little monster in all of them.
Throughout the film there is a lot of special effects. These include the Monster’s and Elizabeth’s look when they are created, the lightning, the fire, the breaking of the iceberg, the creation of the monster and Elizabeth, and the Laboratory. Like most special effects they are used to give the film better scenes and to carry out the story line in an affective and realistic way. Of course different SFX are used for different parts of the film, obviously for different affects. For example the fire is used a lot through the film. This is done to give the perception of fire to be an evil monstrous thing also to give the affect of revenge. Fire is always seen as something evil or bad, so making the characters start or cause fires gives the idea that something is evil about this character or the person they are trying to burn is evil. This is used effectively near the end of the film, where Elizabeth is turned into a monster and then kills herself and burns the house down. I believe that this is done effectively because it isn’t so much that she is burning herself because of what she has become but why she was revived. After she dies she is bought back to life not because Frankenstein believes she shouldn’t had died but because he wants her and doesn’t want to leave her. Frankenstein doesn’t want to bring her back to life for her sake, he is being selfish and bringing her back to life is to do so for his benefit only. The fire shows the evil of Frankenstein’s selfish ways. Another instance of SPX being used is the Lightning that I have already mentioned.
Of course the most important part of any film is the acting. The acting in this film is very good. Most of the actors are not A list celebrities but they are very well known. The only truly well known celebrity is Robert DiNiro. So the acting in this film was expected to be high. Many of the characters are very believable. The two most believable characters are the main two, Frankenstein and the Monster. Kenneth Branagh gives a very good performance as an almost insane scientist wanting to further the scientific gain of the world and for himself. Robert DiNiro also gives a very good role as a monster. He shows the pain and anguish the monster must go through to try and fit into society. In the end it he gives up and seeks revenge after his creator. This is very effective acting between the two. Other secondary characters give extremely good performances as relations, friends and acquaintances of Frankenstein or the Monster. Such as Elizabeth who gives a believable role as truly caring about her future husband when she visits him. Frankenstein’s father who also shows the role of a proud father when Frankenstein becomes a Doctor and saves live, much like he once did. There are other key characters such as the family the Monster stays with. They aren’t greatly important characters that the characters must interact with them but they are key to the development of the Monsters character. It develops the monsters bitterness towards man. Of course there are other characters in the story but none are important and realistic as the main characters that interact with the lesser characters. The acting in this film is extremely believable and very good.
The film wouldn’t be anything without any direction. Kenneth Branagh, who also played Viktor Frankenstein in the film, also directed it. Some people hinted that Kenneth Branagh was selfish to be directing the film and play the main role, but this could also be noticed as commitment. Branagh wanted to get the best version of Mary Shelly’s
Chilling novel and to do this he believed he had to play Viktor Frankenstein himself. This was done simply to get the best adaptation of the book that was possible.
Branagh used different effects to bring across the film. The structure of the film was seriously thought about in the directing. The position of key characters throughout the film is very important. For instance the position of Frankenstein when they are in the lecture hall, he is placed above the rest as if he was above the rest of the people there. The look of Elizabeth when she visits Frankenstein, the town is very dank and has no colour, where as Elizabeth is wearing a very colourful dress. As if there was life coming towards Frankenstein. This is done very effectively on Branagh’s part. Of course Elizabeth does stand out very dramatically and it is very easy to spot. The film is also structured so that it is told as a story from Frankenstein and the little dramatic affects are put in to give the story some integrity and to boost the storyline. Frankenstein or the monster is always in the centre of the screen, to keep the focus on them. Different locations give them different areas to excel at. The Monster has brilliant moments in the Ice landscapes because it shows the strength and power of the character. Where as putting Frankenstein in the lab with the lightning scenes give the perception that Frankenstein is in fact going very mad. The directing is done in different scenes to make sure the acting, locations, SFX and use of camera’s compliment each other so that the film fits together and so that storyline is told to perfection. Other things make sure that the film fits together correctly. The speed of the narrative is very important and also the use of flashbacks. The narrative starts very near the start but it doesn’t actually go back to the narrating until it reaches the end of the film. It is almost don e in a way to introduce ad close the film. The narrative is only explained through the story that almost presents itself during the film. The flashback system is only used once throughout the film. This is done when Frankenstein first starts his story about the deadliest mistake he ever made as a scientist. This is very affective and goes back to when the Frankenstein first get granted the degree to become a doctor. This gives the effect of showing us Frankenstein’s opinion and memory of events that have happened. Also it gives an actual perspective of person’s events on what happened. The flashback system is not over used in this film like many other films do.
There is other important cinematography in this film. Camera angles, colours and symbols are used to get the point across. Many of these I have mentioned in other paragraphs. Such as the colour of Elizabeth’s dress and the position of Frankenstein in the Lecture Hall, symbols such as fire are used throughout, to symbolise death and tragedy. There is other cinematography used but nothing as good as these examples.
The film also presents visual affects on the different classes of people and the way the monster fits into it. The classes between Frankenstein’s family and the town’s people are very easy to see. There are peasants and the upper class that are very easy to seals. The differences between the servants in the Frankenstein’s family are quite different as well. There are the very poor servants, which seem a lot like the towns people. The next class of servants are normally dressed as butlers or middle class. The next class of servants are almost friends, e.g. the Nanny they have working there who is later killed because of the monster. When the Frankenstein’s witness this death it is almost like losing a member of their family. The monster does not fit into any of these classes. He like Frankenstein is an outsider and doesn’t belong anywhere. This is very easy to see when he interacts with the town’s people. They treat him very differently because of they way he looks and acts. It is very easy to see that everyone in the late 19th Century were treated on how they appeared.
I believe that this film is a good one because it has a good adaptation of the book. The film is done very convincingly as a gothic horror film. It shows the pain and suffering of the different classes of people. It also shows the burden of discovery and the horrible truth that no matter how hard we try, the book will always be judged by its cover.
The film was an average film at the film theatres. It has had a number of bad reviews but in my opinion it is a good film and one of the best Frankenstein adaptations.