Frankenstein
by Kevin Connor
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alec Newman, Julie Delpy, Luke Goss, Monika Hilmerová, Nicole LewisDirector: Kevin Connor
Brand: Lions Gate
Producer: H. Daniel Gross
Producer: James Wilberger
Producer: Kevin Bocarde
Producer: Larry Levinson
Producer: Lars Erik Řrgersen
Writer: Mark Kruger
Writer: Mary Shelley
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 204 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Lions Gate
Movie Reviews of Frankenstein
Movie Review: My Favorite Frankenstein Production (4.5 stars)
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite "Frankenstein" production because it is the most faithful adaptation to Shelley's novel. Some people might argue that the creature is too beautiful. There may be some truth to this. However, the creature appears relatively comparable to the earliest mid-19th century sketches of Frankenstein's creature. Therefore, the beauty of the creature is not an issue for me.
The film is DEFINITELY much more accurate that "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh. THAT adaptation should have been entitled "Kenneth Branagh's Frankenstein."
Positives of this 2004 adaptation:
- Film is 204 minutes, which allows the plot to progress less rapidly than in many previous adaptations.
- Film clearly shows how obsessed Victor was with his creature as well as the impact that the death of his mother brought to Victor's desire to creature life where there was once death.
- The creature has the ability to talk proficiently. Therefore, the creature is able to express its loneliness and is longing for acceptance.
- The creature does not seem inherently evil but rather a being that grows bitter (and hateful) over time because of the way he is treated by people, especially by his `father' (i.e. Victor).
- The creature definitely considers Victor to be his father in this film adaptation.
Significant Changes:
- Robert Walton (Donald Sutherland in 2004) is an elderly man.
- Frequently there are short flashback scenes to the arctic. [My Note: This can become annoying after a while.]
- Victor suffers hallucinations where he sees people who are already dead.
- Victor's relationship with Dr. Waldman is developed considerably further than in the novel.
Other Changes for those absolute loyalists [essentially, the minor changes that really do not matter very much]:
Film adds a dog named Bruno who is run over by a carriage.
Victor's mother (Caroline) dies of scarlet fever just before Victor leaves for the university of Ingolstadt. [Her illness was sudden and unexpected. In other words, she did not catch the illness from attending anyone who was ill.]
Henry joins Victor in the carriage on the way to the university. Henry plans to receive a liberal education in ancient history.
Dr. Waldman becomes Victor's adviser.
While studying at university, Victor sees another dog run over by another speeding carriage. Victor experiments on the dog, bringing it back to life for a short time.
One night while Victor is in the graveyard, gravediggers beat him up for apparently no reason except that he was in the graveyard late at night. [My Note: This scene does not make much sense, unless the scriptwriter is trying to imply that this assault is a warning from God for Victor to stop his desire to create life from death.]
Victor shares his success with Dr. Waldman. However, Dr. Waldman tells Victor that trying to bring humans back to life is wrong.
Elizabeth helps nurse Victor back to health.
The DeLacey family consists only of grandfather DeLacey, his son and his son's wife, and their approximately 7-year-old daughter, Eva.
The creature forms a relationship with grandfather DeLacey and Eva, both of which appear to accept the creature. [My Note: It appears as if the scriptwriter is trying to communicate that the blind and little children would accept the creature when adults who can see would not.] Therefore, Eva's father drives the creature away in a similar manner to that described in the novel.
Creature does not burn down the DeLacey cabin. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that the DeLacey family ever leaves the cabin.
No townspeople ever shoot at the creature nor does the creature ever try to rescue a drowning girl.
Film conveys that the creature accidentally strangles William.
Victor tells the judge that he believes a large creature murdered William. The judge refuses to listen to Victor believing Victor is just making up a story to save Justine. [Note: This is a contrast to the novel, where Victor does nothing to try to save Justine.]
The creature observes Justine's hanging. Victor sees the creature in the back of the crowd. Later, the creature takes Justine's dead body from the scaffolds and tells her corpse: "Forgive me. Forgive me."
The creature sneaks up into Victor's room when Victor is sleeping and leaves him a map. The map apparently tells Victor where the creature wants Victor to meet him
Victor has an opportunity to shoot his creature with a revolver yet does not during the time when the two are conversing on the top of the mountain. It appears as though Victor's guilt is the reason for his refusal to murder his creature.
Note: The film does appear to also imply that the creature is born a heterosexual. Therefore, the film goes against the idea that the creature developed heterosexual tendencies. Because of this, it would be more difficult for Victor to consent to create a second male creature for companionship to the first male creature because the first male creature clearly wants a female creature and children. [My Note: It is still unclear to me why the children of this creature would need to be hideously deformed unless we assume that Victor has created a new species from the bodies of deceased humans.]
Victor returns to Ingolstadt to create his female being. While there, Professor Waldman visits Victor in the hope of preventing Victor from making a second terrible mistake.
Later, Henry also visits Victor. The film implies that Victor tells Henry everything about his past experiments. Henry tries to dissuade Victor from creating a female creature.
Victor burns his nearly finished female creature in front of his male creature's eyes. One can absolutely tell how upset this makes Victor's male creature.
Victor and Henry take the body of the female creature to a river. Victor disposes the body in the middle of the river. During this time, the creature strangles Henry. Victor is accused of Henry's murder.
Elizabeth and Victor's father take Victor home. Victor tells neither his father nor Elizabeth about his experiments or the creature.
Just before their marriage, Victor wishes to tell Elizabeth about his creature, but Elizabeth says that she does not want to hear anything bad about Victor or Victor's past until after they are married.
After the marriage, while in a country hotel, Victor is again about to tell Elizabeth when he hear someone at the window. Victor looks out the window and sees a hooded man running away. Victor thinks this being is his creature. He ells Elizabeth to stay put and chases after the man with his revolver drawn. When Victor catches up with this man, he discovers that the creature made the man run away as a deco. Victor returns to his hotel room to discover that his creature has strangled Elizabeth.
While holding Elizabeth's dead body, Victor observes the creature through the window. Victor fires at the creature through the glass window and then chases the creature from the hotel into a nearly lake. During this time, Victor is continuously firing at his creature. It is assumed that Victor probably has wounded his creature. However, eventually Victor loses sight of his creature.
Victor returns to Ingolstadt to see Dr. Waldman.
While in Ingolstadt, Victor reads in a newspaper about a monster terrorizing villages. Victor travels to the village on horseback where he finds the entire village attending a funeral service for the people killed by the creature. At this point, it appears that the creature has declared a war, of sorts, on humanity. [Note: This is different that in the novel, where the creature does not harm innocent people, but rather limits his vengeance on those Victor loves.]
As Victor dies, he hallucinates that he sees Elizabeth.
Final scene of the film shows the creature carrying Victor's body into the Arctic wilderness during a blizzard. [Note: The assumption is that the creature dies.]
FINAL THOUGHTS:
While some potential viewers might find (1) this production to drag on a bit, and (2) some of the minor actors to play their roles poorly, I believe that adaptation is worthy enough to purchase, especially if you can purchase it used for five to seven dollars. The adaptation is 4:3 aspect ratio, which also might disappoint some viewers. However, even with these potential negatives, I found the film worthy of my time. It certainly is the best choice currently available and really focuses on the scientific consequences of Victor's creating life.
Summary of Frankenstein
Obsessed with violating the laws of nature & death scientist victor frankenstein constructs a creature from the limbs of the dead! once brought to life the creature proves more human than his creator.. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/13/2005 Starring: Luke Gross Julie Delpy Run time: 204 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Kevin ConnorSimilar DVD Movies
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