***Gothic mania with Kenneth Branagh, Robert DeNiro and Helena Bonham Carter***
Kenneth Branagh's 1994 version of the oft-filmed Frankenstein story was the most faithful to Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel up to that point, which explains its name. It features fine actors and looks great (sets, costumes, locations, etc). There are several quality scenes, like the creature's time spent with the peasant family where his unseen help is taken for a "good spirit of the woods."
The first time I viewed the movie I was a little turned off by its manic style. People are introduced, scenes flash by, times shift and the soundtrack blares, which struck me as overdone. The characters seemed so melodramatic at times, emoting, yelling, running, confronting, fighting, dying: "Ahhhhhh!!" "NoooOOOOOoooooo!!!" I just wanted them to stop, take their meds, and chill for 5-10 minutes. I’ve since read Shelley’s book and watched the even more faithful version, Hallmark’s “Frankenstein” (2004) with Luke Goss playing the creature, which runs almost 3 hours.
Seeing this version again I appreciated it more and was able to see how Branagh provides a nice balance between the hyper moments and more subdued sequences. If it sometimes seems too manic it’s because Branagh tried to cram the bulk of the novel into 2 hours. On the positive side, this makes it play better for those who prefer constant thrills, melodrama, etc. The 2004 version has almost another hour to play with and is more subdued and brooding. This one’s more of a “blockbuster.”
Speaking of the 2004 rendition, the creature is more faithful to the book (with long black hair and white teeth), but he’s also too handsome in a dark gothic way, resembling Type O Negative’s Peter Steele. The creature in this version removes the hair and opts for a more gruesome depiction, which fits Victor’s description of the creature as “hideous.” In any case, De Niro does a fine job in the role.
My favorite part is when the monster finds sanctuary with the rural family, unbeknownst to them. It helps the viewer get to know the creature and have compassion on his plight, but soon all sympathy is pretty much lost. On the other hand, he IS a 'monster’; and he has an interesting discussion with Victor in his remote glacial dwelling in the high country, which helps explain his actions. The locket-framing sequence is lame, but that was a weak point of the novel as well.
While this version and the 2004 one are the most faithful to Shelley’s book, they each omit parts and change certain things. For instance, both omit Victor’s traveling to Scotland and, later, Ireland, which was a good call. This version alters a certain character’s death to a lynching while in the novel it was court-ordered hanging. Regardless, I enjoyed the surprise plot turn in the last act, which I’m not going to give away. And the tragic ending is well executed.
"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is similar to "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992) in that they both look awesome and were produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Any problems are due to translating convoluted 19th century gothic horror classics to modern cinema.
The film runs 2 hours, 3 minutes, and was shot in England (Shepperton Studios) and the Swiss Alps.
GRADE: B+
