Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein May Be Grand, But It’s Not Quite Great

by

Del Toro’s take on ‘Frankenstein,’ debuting at the Venice Film Festival, is a spectacle of elaborate visuals and intense emotions that seem to pack the intensity of nearly five movies within one. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. The narrative unfolds in two segments: The initial segment follows Victor Frankenstein’s perspective, portrayed by Oscar Isaac, a gifted yet egotistical scientist who assembles a living being from deceased parts, only to grapple with the inability to control his creation. In the subsequent segment, the creature, embodied by Jacob Elordi and designed to appear as an oversized marble statue come to life, shares his tale. Born unwillingly into existence, he longs for human connection but is met with rejection and fear due to his enormous size and uncouth demeanor. The latter half of ‘Frankenstein’ sees a surge in grand emotions, which, while powerful, also introduces complications. It seems as though the film aims to elicit specific emotional responses towards this misunderstood being rather than allowing those feelings to emerge naturally from the audience.

The story’s unfolding isn’t what was expected, given Del Toro appears perfectly suited for it. Based on Mary Shelley’s original novel, the narrative takes unexpected, imaginative turns. In the beginning, we discover Victor Frankenstein’s physician father (Charles Dance) is harsh and seeks to mold his son in his own image, punishing him severely when he falls short. Victor cherishes his mother’s love and care; he’s devastated by her death during childbirth, but he also swears to conquer death. As a young man, expelled from medical school for attempting to reanimate a half-dead body made from the remains of two deceased individuals, Victor luckily encounters a wealthy arms dealer with hidden motives, Christoph Waltz’s Harlander, who offers him a lab to develop his life-creation process. Victor refines his research and eventually manages to breathe life into a giant, naive creature made from body parts scavenged from battlefield corpses. This creation is like a child, with the size of an adult; he needs to learn everything.

The creature crafted by Victor (Danny Boy) harbors resentment towards him due to their shared affection for Elizabeth Lavenza (Mia Goth). While she is engaged to Victor’s brother William (Felix Kammerer), her curiosity about the natural world draws her closer to Victor. A mutual attraction also develops between them. Eventually, it is Elizabeth who shows compassion towards the creature, which longs for kindness. Given the complex love triangle, their situation seems tragically destined. As Victor realizes he cannot govern the being he has brought into existence, he attempts and ultimately fails to eliminate it. The creature possesses an extraordinary ability to heal itself, ensuring its immortal life – a life it rejects.

In the movie, “it,” portrayed by Jacob Elordi, displays both noble qualities and underlying frustration. The second half of the film delves into his compelling tale. He manages to evade being killed by his creator and seeks refuge on a countryside farm. There he conceals himself within a mill, watching over a small family from afar. This family is headed by an empathetic blind man named David Bradley, who inexplicably forms a bond with the creature despite its terrifying appearance. The creature dreams of joining this family, but knows it’s unattainable. However, the blind man fails to recognize the creature’s fearsome demeanor. As he gains access to the old man’s bookshelf, the creature learns to read and immerses himself in the works of Milton and Shelley. In time, he is compelled to track down his creator in a desperate bid to make a crucial, tormented plea.

This landscape offers a rich canvas for a filmmaker such as Del Toro, particularly given his empathy towards the misunderstood and maligned creatures, a trait not exclusive to him alone. If you’ve witnessed his 2017 production titled “The Shape of Water“, you can relate to his compassion for the socially outcast beings. Movies like James Whale’s 1931 “Frankenstein” with Boris Karloff’s tormented, misunderstood character provoke deep emotions within viewers, as the creature is given life only to be denied simple joys. However, Whale’s film allows us a space to grapple with those complex, subconscious feelings on our own, making them seem like hidden secrets we shouldn’t know. In contrast, Del Toro’s work actively engages us in confronting our own emotions, leaving little room for escape. Even before the creature articulates his heartfelt plea-“I am revolting to you, but to myself, I simply exist.”-we are well aware of the message. The music score by Alexandre Desplat, amplifying at key moments when we might prefer solitude for our feelings, can feel invasive. Despite its grandeur, this “Frankenstein” lacks the warmth and closeness that intimacy provides.

In simpler terms, this passage is describing the intricate details and striking visuals found in Guillermo Del Toro’s movie. The grandiose gothic elements of Victor’s castle-lab include a stone carved Medusa statue, an imposing angel statue, and a young woman’s coffin with a red velvet face hole, all exuding a dark, elaborate beauty. The costumes designed by Kate Hawley are magnificent, blending historical accuracy with fantastical flair, showcasing vibrant colors that leap off the screen. Notably, Elizabeth wears a jacket made of malachite-patterned fabric and a coral necklace, making her appear as if nature’s colors have been rediscovered. Victor’s eccentric outfit-a striped velvet frock coat, plaid trousers, and a trilby hat-makes him stand out instead of blending in while spying on Elizabeth at church.

Isaac portrays a passionate and intense Victor, his sorrow is evident in his loose, poetic attire. Reminiscent of David Bowie’s alien character in Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, Joseph Elordi’s character mirrors this with his elongated figure. His piercing eyes, though identical in color, express the anguish a misunderstood individual on earth might feel. There’s no doubt about his emotional depth; it shines through without any need for further explanation.

Read More

2025-08-30 23:06