Kenneth Branagh's Adaptation of Frankenstein for the Cinema

Kenneth Branagh's Adaptation of Frankenstein for the Cinema

The story of 'Frankenstein' has been set in the Georgian period. The

story line can be cut briefly to a crazed scientist (Victor

Frankenstein) thinking he can 'play God'. He tries to bring a creation

to life and once succeeding he realises the terrible mistake he has

made and sets about trying to correct it - by murdering it. The

Monster sets out for revenge killing family members one by one, ending

with them both dying in ice covered mountains. Kenneth Branagh has

re-told this story from Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. Branagh

has been very careful when creating this movie, and because of it, the

movie has said to be a movie that virtually matches the original

novel, creating the same types of atmospheres and adrenaline rush to

both the viewer and reader. Kenneth Branagh has directed a wide range

of movies, featuring Love's Labour's Lost (2000), Hamlet (1996), A

Midwinter's Tale (1996) and Much Ado About Nothing (1993). Branagh has

also made a name for himself acting, in movies like Harry Potter and

the Chamber of Secrets, How to Kill Your Neighbour's Dog, Rabbit-Proof

Fence, Galapagos, Chicken Run/The Road to El Dorado's and Love's

Labour's Lost. Branagh also played as Victor Frankenstein himself.

I think the movie has a predominant theme of life and death. This also

feels as though it has a Gothic horror theme to it, being dark and

drab through a large proportion of the movie, signifying death.

Alternatively the bright lights, dancing and happiness throughout a

smaller minority of the film may represent life, but looking at the

proportions death plays a larger part o...

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...cave, the

Monster clearly expressing his anger and revenge upon Victor.

I think when Shelley wrote the novel, the film was centred was more

around the interaction between people, for example Elizabeth and

Victor and Victor and Frankenstein. I think the re-make plays more

upon the reactions to the audience, although there is a lot of

interaction Branagh has focused more on making the storyline clear to

the audience, and building up fear within the viewer. Today, there is

a massive debate on the use of cloning and whether it is right or

wrong, and I think this is an example of what people might think would

happen if cloning became legal. Also their maybe fear among people

that, like the Monster, they are going to become better in everyway,

stronger, more intelligent and this is something humans dread -

competition.