In a way, the issues Mary raised in the book have influenced science today. It brought up the ideas of transplants and sustaining life. Today transplants are very common and not unusual, the idea may have been predisposed by the once “unthinkable.”
At the time the book was written there were strong debates and arguments about how science played a role in society and also moral issues.
The church played a major role in peoples lives in this era and often resisted the ideas about scientists pushing the boundaries of life forward. The novel pushed these boundaries even further.
The book turns around the set ways of the world. In that birth and gestation is totally a feminine process; but you can clearly see the masculinity in the creation of the daemon. The novel confronts the idea of changing feminine ‘nature’ and it being destroyed by masculinity.
The narrative of the book is very complex and multi-layered; there are narratives within narratives! Robert Walton first tells the story in his letters to Margaret; then it passes to Victor, the creature then takes over, it then goes back to Victor then finally to Walton. Victor’s narrative contains significant detail about his family history and background.
When Mary Shelly wrote the 18th century novel Frankenstein she did not intend for it to be created into a 20th century film.
A film is a very visual medium; they are made to make money. Frankenstein, costing just over $30 million dollars needed to re coup the costs. Therefore changes had to be made; such as the plot, character or action. The director had to edit and cut scenes to make it fit into the one hour and 40 minute time slot. The scenes had to be carefully put together to create a particular style and to create a certain effect. The director edited the scene where the daemon was being created. In this scene there was huge sets, dramatic music and a lot of hand-held camera work and many effective camera angles to capture the enormity of the laboratory. Many images were cut closely together to build up tension and suspense. This was a set piece designed for a modern audience. It is a very visual climax; where as in the book the creation of the monster is shown by, “I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.”
As a film is intense for a long time and when read a book you “graze” and they are much more complex; the director has to make it appealing and want to make you watch on. Often commercial pressures mean that the film is not a true or faithful adaptation of the novel.
The film Frankenstein is lavish, sumptuous and has high production values. It is full of “action sequences” and “set pieces.”
Frankenstein is a horror film and its purpose is to scare the audience. But the film cannot be all blood and gore of it would be given an 18 certificate, which would mean that not as many people could see it. Films are censored so that we can restrict groups of society from seeing them. But it is far more difficult to restrict people from reading published novels. In literature authors can truly express themselves.
The film s a serious adaptation of the novel and there is an attempt to recreate authentically the period in which the novel is set. There is great care over detail such as costume, sets and props.
The first half of the film sets about establishing the relationships, especially between Elizabeth and Victor, this way; if anything happens to them it would have a greater impact on us.
It is hard to make a film and still stay faithful to the novel. When reading a novel, the reader has to use his or her imagination to what the characters look like and the background. But in a film it is laid out for you to take in. Because of this most people prefer to read the book rather than watch the film.
When the director came to make Frankenstein he had to make a careful decisions about Victor’s mother’s death. In the novel she dies peacefully in her sleep of Scarlet fever, but this had to be changed to fit the film.
In the end the director made it, that his mother dies whilst giving birth to his brother. It is very dramatic and looks painful. The stains of blood on the white gown and the birthing chair made the scene very horrific and much more gripping. It also gave Victor and incentive to go and create life and rid the world of disease. The biggest dilemma for the director is to know what scenes to keep and which to change.
The director’s job is very demanding. The director is the person with ultimate responsibility for everything that takes place on a film set, from the technical aspects up to the movements of the actors. Many directors make a contractual obligation that the released film is their cut. However many directors come under great pressure from the producers to make compromises for commercial reasons.
The producers make suggestions in what happens but it is the directors who have the final say in how the film is put together to create a certain effect.
The producers represent those who have given financial backing to the film. They can have significant influence on how the film develops. They want to make a high grossing film, with high ratings to bring in the money.
The whole project has to be some kind of compromise. The director will highlight the main elements of the novel and remain faithful to those. The rest of the film will be subject to dramatic licence.
The film Frankenstein tries very hard to stay to the book. It shows the essence of the novel. The film employs a technique of voice-over briefly at key points within the narrative and this helps to summarise a characters actions, thoughts and motivations. A voice-over can help to cover significant sections of the novel in a short time, as the story is very long and complex.
