GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “FRANKENSTEIN” SENDS AN ELECTRIC SHOCK THROUGH THE GOTHIC TALE
BY SOPHIA ROOKSBERRY PHOTO BY NETFLIX
A book-to-movie adaptation can only be as good as the story it is based on, no matter how much Hollywood magic or directorial brilliance is breathed into it. “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” is one of the most powerful stories in literary history, and Guillermo del Toro’s signature filmmaking honored and expanded upon Mary Shelley’s quintessential storytelling in his most recent film, “Frankenstein.”
In the 1818 novel, the Gothic writer chronicles the life of Victor Frankenstein as his hubris and greed for the ultimate power drive him to fashion a creature out of dead body parts and imbue it with life — harnessing science to defeat death. Both the book and the recent film adaptation explore the fallout of Victor’s audacious creation; the titular character channels his own hypocrisies and shortcomings into a hatred of his creation, who the audience comes to see as an isolated seeker of empathy and companionship, and a victim of Victor’s ignorance.
The relationship between Frankenstein and The Creature has been recreated countless times, from the original adaptation in 1931 featuring Boris Karloff as “The Monster” to the parodical connection between Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his “man with blond hair and a tan” in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The dynamic between The Creature and his creator is the lifeblood of any “Frankenstein” retelling, and Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi could not have executed it better.
Isaac is completely unrecognizable behind the manic, cruel, and egotistical distortions of his character. His rendition of the “mad scientist” trope is convincing and unique, yet still pays homage to generations of Victor Frankenstein’s that precede him. Similarly, Elordi takes his most identifiable trait as an actor — the towering presence he used to assert dominance in productions like “Euphoria” and “Priscilla” — and spins it to create the persona of a vulnerable animal, unaware of his own strength and conditioned to stifle the humanity beneath the bruised sinew of his exterior.
The other standout performance in the film comes from Mia Goth in her portrayal of Elizabeth Harlander, the fiancée of Victor’s brother who the scientist maintains deep feelings for throughout the movie. Elizabeth is characterized by a disdainful understanding of Victor and an unshakable empathy for The Creature, a duality that allows her to showcase visceral chemistry with both leading actors.
All three actors faced the challenge of portraying characters with legacies spanning centuries, but no challenge was as great as that of the screenwriter. Del Toro was tasked with adapting one of history’s most well-known classics into a script that simultaneously does justice to the original book and modernizes it for today’s audience. By maintaining a balance between dry comedy and deep sincerity, del Toro excelled in his auteurial mission.
Beyond the script, del Toro’s use of symbolism and motifs throughout the film was the work of a true visionary. From mounting The Creature in a crucifix pose during his creation (depicting him as a Christ figure in both martyrdom and resurrection) to the red highlights in Victor’s wardrobe (in honor of his deceased mother, whose absence brought themes of toxic masculinity and obsession to his characterization), del Toro lived up to the creativity and style for which he is acclaimed. Del Toro’s creative team truly could not have been better assembled, including standout work by cinematographer Dan Laustsen, costume designer Kate Hawley and composer Alexandre Desplat.
However, a few of del Toro’s creative liberties took some points off of the film’s otherwise perfect rating. The story was told in the form of two retrospectives, Victor’s Tale and The Creature’s Tale, from aboard a moored ship in the Arctic Circle. This storytelling technique was beautifully executed, but a few time skips and flash forwards jarred audiences out of the immersive world. Whether through awkward blocking or underwhelming sound mixing, some moments also lacked a sense of urgency that felt necessary to the story.
These imperfections were few and far between, and del Toro certainly lived up to the lofty expectations of his rendition. From hints of Gothic body horror to moving glimpses into a historically misunderstood creature, “Frankenstein” sheds a new light on a classic tale that reanimated the characters and stories in the truest homage to Shelley’s narrative.
4.5/5
