“Frankenstein,” directed by Guillermo del Toro, began streaming exclusively on Netflix starting Nov. 7. Before streaming on Netflix, the film had a limited theatrical release in select cinemas in several countries throughout the month of October. The film made $422,705 internationally from this limited release, having a budget of only $120 million.
The film has received lots of positive reviews, receiving an 87 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The setting and aesthetic of the film were very beautiful and unique, featuring the historical setting of the time period while also incorporating its own gothic aesthetic.
Frida Rodriguez (11) says, “I loved the set so much. It was so detailed, and I literally felt like I was there in England.”
The fantastic visuals really draw the audience into the film and allow them to become immersed in the world of Frankenstein.
Ms. Torres says, “None are equal to Del Toro in aesthetics and stuff. I loved the larger-than-life batteries and the lab and the sets and the costumes, everything was fantastic.”
The film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster. Mia Goth plays Elizabeth Lavenza, Felix Kammerer plays William Frankenstein and Christopher Waltz plays Henrich Harlander.
Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of Frankenstein’s creature was phenomenal; he was able to capture the unique nature of the creature flawlessly. Oscar Issac as Victor Frankenstein was also amazing, as his fantastic acting somehow made Victor an even more unlikable character in comparison to the source material.
Ms. Torres says, “I feel like they made Victor maybe too…cruel.”
When comparing the film to the book it was based on, “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus,” there were several minor and major changes. One major change was Elizabeth Lavenza’s character. In the book, she was Victor Frankenstein’s fiancée and cousin. While in the film, she was engaged to his brother William, who was aged up and played a more prominent role. Elizabeth also played a more prominent role in the film, serving as not only a love interest but also as one of the few people who love and care about Frankenstein’s creature.
Another major difference was the removal of both a personal favorite and a fan-favorite character, Henry Clerval, who was not even mentioned in the movie. In the book, Henry acts as a foil to Victor and is Victor’s closest friend and companion. In the movie, William Frankenstein seems to replace Henry, as he shares a closer relationship with Victor in comparison to the book, and his overall character is really similar to Clerval. This change is one of the very few problems I had with this otherwise beautiful and phenomenal film.
A minor change was that the film took away the secrecy of Victor’s creation of the creature. In the book, Victor tells not a single person about his creation, being too ashamed. In the film, William, Henrich, and Elizabeth are all aware of his creation. While not a very major thing, it does change some of the themes from the source material.
Ms. Torres says, “The differences that I noticed they made, I liked the differences. I thought they were good.”
The film was structured in a non-chronological way, as it was told as a story to Captain Anderson from both Victor’s and the Creature’s points of view. The film was broken up into two parts, the first part being Victor’s tale and the second part being the Creature’s tale.
Ms. Torres says, “I think the first half was too long, so that by the time I got to what I really wanted to see, which was the Creature’s story, I was tired.”
The Creature’s tale was definitely the most emotional and heartbreaking of the two, and the audience was able to feel more sympathy for the Creature than for Victor. It depicted the hardships that the Creature suffered as he was rejected by both his creator and society.
Overall, the film was nowhere short of a cinematic masterpiece, and while not completely faithful to its source material, the changes that were made worked out for the film and contributed to its appeal.
