August 13 - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

This is a film with a scene that happens today – August 13. I hope you enjoy this movie and watch it tonight.

MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN

Captain Robert Walton is trying to reach the north pole. On August 13, 1794 [3:14 to 7:28] he picks up a man traveling across the ice alone. The man sees how obsessed Walton is with reaching the pole, and asks if he shares his “madness.” The man gives his name as Victor Frankenstein and tells his story in a very long flashback.  He is raised in a wealthy family with Elizabeth, a girl taken in by his parents. Later after his mother dies he vows to conquer death.  Victor and Elizabeth become engaged and he goes off to college. There he pursues studies that eventually lead him to conclude that the only way to defeat death is to create life. His mentor Professor Waldman advises against this, as his own experiments led to an abomination.   However when Waldman is killed, Victor steals his notes and continues his work. He creates a living creature, but is appalled. The creature escapes and once it learns how it was created vows revenge on Victor. Victor returns home. His younger brother has been murdered and a servant Justine is executed for the crime.  Victor meets the creature in order to destroy it, but fails due to it’s greater speed and strength. The creature promises to leave if Victor will make him a bride. When Victor refuses to use Justine’s body, the creature again vows revenge. After Victor and Elizabeth are married, the creature eventually succeeds in killing her. Victor revives her using parts from Justine’s body, but when she realizes what has been done to her she kills herself.   The flashback ends as Victor explains he has been pursuing the creature to kill it. When Victor dies of pneumonia, the creature kills himself on Victor’s funeral pyre. Walton takes his ship home.

This is the version that sticks the closest to the plot of the book. It’s an unusual film, more bloody than most previous versions, but it doesn’t quite make it as a real horror film. The script is too manic and tries to fit too much into the story.

Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary W. Shelley (Aldine Press, London, 1970) at pages 17-18 gives date and year given in film at 1:37

Producer – Francis Ford Coppola

Director – Keneth Branagh

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Makeup Oscar at the 67^th Academy

                 Awards.

Screenplay – Steph Lady and Frank Darabont

Runtime – 2 hours 3 minutes

Released- October 12, 1994

Starring –

Robert DeNiro as the creature

Kenneth Branagh as Victor Frankenstein

Tom Hulce as Henry Clerval

Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth

Ian Holm as Baron Frankenstein

John Cleese as Professor Waldman

Aidan Quinn as Captain Walton

Trevyn McDowell as Justine

Cherie Lunghi as Victor’s mother