Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
Rated 3.1 / 5 from 6 logs on Katalog
So, okay. Much like Wuthering heights, this reimagining of a classic novel by a celebrated female writer is violently different from the book—the letter and the spirit. And, I guess that it’s fair to say that a piece of art should be examined on its own merits, irrespective of what inspired it. And this Frankenstein, this version of it, is a male story start to finish. It’s told by a man, focuses on fatherhood and male relationships and male experiences. And it should probably be examined as it’s intended. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I can’t and I won’t. Mary Shelly is a goddamn icon who wrote a profoundly feminist text when she was barely more than a teenager, deeply influenced by the stillbirth of her first child. She was, moreover, herself the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, another feminist icon, who died in childbirth giving birth to Mary Shelly. To take that book, that specific book, and to strip it of its feminist dimension, is just—it’s wrong. It’s incorrect. No. And then, to top it off, to include a Byron quote at the end of the film is a slap in the face. It’s better than “Wuthering Heights”, yea, but only because it feels less cynical and rage baity. Del Toro wanted to make this sincerely, i don’t doubt it. I’m just sick of these films that “adapt” books they have no interest in. Write an original script for heavens sake. If you aren’t interested in feminist lit, leave it be. Make more Pacific Rim, I don’t care. Adapt some creepy fairy tale. Go nuts.
As with all of Del Toro's work, not bad, not great. A brilliant craftsman with an eye for sets and creatures, he always stumbles at characters, dialogue, and in this instance, also creatures. We had to giggle when the creature is revealed and it's literally just Jacob Elordi in a suit. For his next trick, he'll remake Lord of the Rings and cast Henry Cavill as Gollum
Del Toro took an intimate, gritty story with so many nuances and philosophical, psychological and societal themes… and turned it into a grand, theatrical, cheesy, melodramatic, action-packed fantasy adventure, with little substance. To read Shelley’s novel and write this as a result is… confusing to say the least. But sure! Fan-fiction with made-up characters and the Creature that looks like a bass player of a Finnish death metal band. Why not! I don’t mind the re-imagination at all (the plot, the characters, the point, are all so removed from the source material I wouldn’t even consider it an adaptation). I don’t mind Del Toro’s compassion for monsters (I love it). But I do mind how poorly written this is. Whatever is phenomenal in Shelley’s writing, whatever she smartly omitted, whatever she thoughtfully included, Del Toro’s writing fails at. Maybe he should have dedicated more time to character development than explaining science that’s literally not explainable, or creating unnecessary love triangles. Then again, maybe that’s exactly what fan fiction is supposed to be like.
Ironically with its life/death motif woven throughout, there were a number of other contrasts to Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein that made it a hit or miss for me. Both the problematic and superbly done aspects of this film are interwoven. Firstly, the production design is often shockingly beautiful. Supremely gothic and detailed interior sets, and stunning period costumes that find a balance between individuality and historical accuracy (just like in Crimson Peak). However, for every scene of lush scenery that physically exists, there were multiple scenes of CGI overload. Buildings that don’t exist, forests that don’t exist, mountains that don’t exist. I really thought there could’ve been a better balance, as the CGI felt completely overdone (and at times unnecessary). That’s my impression of the production design. Secondly, in terms of the story and acting, there are moments that were almost laughably theatrical, and moments that were very moving and compelling. I thought Jacob Elordi was one of the strongest parts of the whole picture. He gave much dimension to the monster, which is so central to what the story tries to teach us. I personally wasn’t always a huge fan of Oscar Isaac’s performance, however. I also thought the whole “meet-random-strangers-and-tell-my-life-story” element was so silly. And guess what? When Victor Frankenstein finishes, the monster essentially enters the room right on time and says it’s his turn now. Guillermo del Toro has such highs in his career, and I wouldn’t even consider his lows to be that low, but lately I’ve only liked his movies on a superficial level and Frankenstein is no different.
