Frankenstein (15) |Close-Up Film Review
Dir: Guillermo del Toro, Mexico/United States, 20215
Cast: Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, David Bradley
Review by Carol Allen
Its rich colours and dramatic sets, such as the tower which becomes Frankenstein’s laboratory, are positively operatic. The tale would indeed make a good opera in the right hands, come to think of it.
The story opens in the Arctic, where the now lonely and rejected Creature (Jacob Elordi) is seeking revenge on the creator who rejected him. Which leads into Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) telling his story to the Captain of the icebound ship on which he has taken refuge. It begins with Frankenstein as a boy (Christian Convery) and a childhood dominated by his bullying doctor father (Charles Dance) – a creative addition to Shelley’s story, giving him motivation for his mistreatment of his own “son”.
Interesting though that first part is, the story really takes off when Frankenstein actually creates his monster. No bolts on this one. Apart from a few seams the Creature is a handsome, bald six foot plus baby (wearing a loincloth to protect his modesty). At first Frankenstein tries to teach him to talk but when that fails, he loses interest, turns against his creation and abuses him, imprisoning him in chains and eventually trying to destroy him and his own whole life’s work with fire.
The Creature of course escapes and now takes over the storytelling. True to Shelley’s novel, he finds refuge with the Blind Man (David Bradley), a relationship which is now developed by Del Toro into something much more complex, as the old man teaches his protégé to speak and to read. So the Creature is now the artificial creation of man but with human feelings – a Victorian version of artificial intelligence developing consciousness in a way. But where if anywhere can he find acceptance?
In this version of the tale we have little empathy with Frankenstein, the cruel parent. Jacob is the protagonist, building in a way on the role that mime Doug Jones played in del Toro’s The Shape of Water, in that the part is very physical, but in this case also developing it through dialogue. He is very impressive.
Also of note is Mia Goth as Elizabeth, Frankenstein’s sister in law to be, who is the other human who has empathy and respect for the monster. She is also given the widest and bounciest crinolines by the costume designer ever to be seen on a Victorian heroine.
