297, Frankenstein

 

A new offering from Netflix this month is Guillermo del Toro's re-imagining of Frankenstein, taken as always from the 1818 Mary Shelley Novel.

I have to admit, of the 60+ movie adaptations of this book (so far), I dont recall ever actually watching one in full! (or even reading the book!).  The classic 1931 version is deemed the most iconic, characterising the 'creature' with the high forehead & bolts in the neck and there have been dozens more versions in between that and this most recent offering, but I am not really in the best position to compare this to either these prior movies or the novel itself however, it appears del Toro's version is being priased for not only being "faithfull to the original text" but also hailed as "a great and powerfull modern re-telling".

Our story starts as many do now,  at the end - with the first half of the film narrated retrospectively by Victor Frankenstein himself, being chased across the NorthPole by his creation, only to be saved by a Navy Sea Captain who with his crew, set out to protect Victor from his hunter and it's to this Captain that Victor re-tells his tale.  Oscar Isaac portays the inventor and does a pretty good job.  Erratic, funny in parts, obsessive and single minded, we flash back to memories of childhood and his doting mother and overbearing father (played by Charles Dance) who, as a world leading Surgeon, is intent on ensuring his eldest son follow in his footsteps, which to all intents and purposes Victor does, only to be consumed with the objective of re-creating life which lays out our plan for the remainder of this first act.

The creating of the creature itself for me, was probably the highlight of the movie.  Victor meets Harlander (played by Christoph Waltz) who, with an ulterior motive, after seeing Victors presentation of his early works on re-invention offers unlimited funds to support his project.  They aquire a desolate tower in the middle of nowhere and set about creating the laboratory in which our tale begins.  

The lab itself was more reminiscent to Jim Carey's 'Riddlers' lair in Batman Forever and the horrific process, graphically portratyed by del Toro with the chopping up and splicing together of body parts was gruesome, but somehow, being set to a very uplfting and cheerfull soundtrack suddenly made it all enjoyable and fun - removing the viewer from the actual horrors of what was happening before your very eyes.     

Now, I can only assume that as in the original novel, Frankenstein becomes frustratred with his creation - deeming it a failed experiment and nothing like what he imagined so sets out to destroy the creature, with disasterous consequences.

There are many other elements I've purposely missed at this point.  A yonger brother and his fiance* that causes distuption for Victor - Harlanders ulterior motive, Victors own struggles and how that plays out but, all in all - Act 1 is great fun.

Back on the Navy Ship and after Victor finishes his story to the Naval Sea Captain, we switch to the 2nd part of the movie and we actually get to hear the Creatures side of things.  His portrayal of events that has led him to the North Pole and to hunting down his creator.

For a 'Frankensteins Monster', forget the bolts and high forehead, the slow marching, arms out in front and constant moaning.  This creature is actually quite a handome chap.  Played by Jacob Elordi, I kept getting flashbacks to a less 'shiny' version of Paul Bettany's Vision / J.A.R.V.I.S (Marvel) with the two tone skin colouring and smooth head (with hair that grew over time).  The Creature is somewhat a caring soul - dangerous, strong and deadly yes, but childlike and wanting to experience new things - none of which is seen by Victor (or seen but ignored) but only understood by Elizabeth* - the aforementioned fiance of the younger brother.

After managing to escape Victors first attempt at destruction, the Creature sets out on his own adventure, seeking hidden refuge with a family of hunters and learing how to speak and understand reality from an old blind man played by David Bradley (Filch from the Harry Potter movies) who takes pity on our anti-hero and in the absence of his own family, spurs the creature on to seek out his creator and set the record straight.  

As with Victors story, I've purposely left out some key points of act 2 but one to highlight is the brutal nature of the Creature lending itself to a fantastic wolf fight.  Again, hide your eyes if you're more the squemish type, but once all is said and done we end up back at the North Pole, on the Naval ship, with Inventor and Creator reunited and Victor finally getting to understand what he has created.

Overall I really enjoyed this one.  At nearly 2.5hrs long it didn't really seem to drag at any point.  The story itself  I found fast paced and they manage to cram an awful lot ino this movie.  The Cinematography and acting was fantastic, a little campy in parts - but aren't all monster movies?  

The scenery is breathtaking - beautiful surrounding from high luxury stately homes to desolate northern wastelands and great but subtle special effects.  Let's just say, the CGI used on some of the wild animals would feel just as easily at home in the new Snow White movie than it does in this.

If like me you think know all about Frankenstein but only through what you've heard or believe to be accurate - give ths one a go.  If you have seen other variations, namely the Kenneth Branagh outing from 94' then definately check this one out as it should make a good comparison.

Scary? Not really.  Brutal? Occasionally. Future Classic? Probably not - but, this movie should stand up strong against prior versions and I can now say, pretty confidently - ask me about Frankenstein and his Creature, and I can tel you what it's all about!.

(Images used in blog are sourced from IMDB, Empire Magazine, House & Garden, Broadway Cinema, & The Shaving Room)