Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)
| Frankenstein | |
|---|---|
_theatrical_poster.jpg?lang=en) film poster | |
| Directed by | Kenneth Branagh |
| Produced by | Francis Ford Coppola |
| Starring | Kenneth Branagh Robert De Niro Helena Bonham Carter Ian Holm Tom Hulce John Cleese |
| Cinematography | Roger Pratt |
| Edited by | Andrew Marcus |
| Music by | Patrick Doyle |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release dates | November 4, 1994 |
Running time | 123 min |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45,000,000 |
Frankenstein (also known by its promotional title, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) is a 1994 film directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Robert De Niro, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, and Kenneth Branagh. It is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. It follows the novel more closely than other film adaptations, but still deviates broadly from Mary Shelley's original plot.
The film was a part of a brief trend towards high-profile adaptations of classic horror stories (usually with claims of greater authenticity than previous film versions) following the box-office success of Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula. Other films in this trend included Mary Reilly (based on the story of Jekyll and Hyde) and the film Wolf, based on the werewolf myths.
Characters
The main characters include:
- The Creature (Robert De Niro) - the product of Frankenstein's experiment with corpses and electricity.
- Victor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) - a scientist obsessed with conquering death.
- Henry Clerval (Tom Hulce) - Frankenstein's best friend.
- Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) - Frankenstein's fiancee.
- Baron Frankenstein (Ian Holm) - Victor Frankenstein's elderly, unwell father.
- Professor Waldman (John Cleese) - Frankenstein's tutor and colleague.
- Captain Robert Walton (Aidan Quinn) - The commander of the ship which picks up Frankenstein.
Plot
The movie is one of the most faithful adaptations of the book, and one of the few to actually follow the novel's plot and characterizations.[1] Among the deviations from the original book is the creation of the monster bride. In the book, the Creature asks Victor Frankenstein to fashion a monster woman for him. He reluctantly agrees, but destroys the creature right before he is about to breathe life into it. However, in the film he goes through with his plan only after the monster murders Elizabeth on their wedding night by thrusting his hand into her chest and ripping out her heart. Victor then takes Elizabeth's body back to his laboratory, where he attaches her head to the exhumed body of Justine, the nanny. He then galvanises this "new" body and brings Elizabeth back as a horrific bride. When the creature approaches thinking that the bride is meant for him, a stand-off occurs before the bride kills herself by immolation.
Reception
The film did disappointing business upon its American theatrical release having a budget of $45 million and grossing $22 million, but did very well in global markets where it grossed $90 million.[2] According to the film website Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, the film received very mixed reviews.[3] Upon its DVD release, commentators seemed more forgiving of its shortcomings.[4][5][6]
Other media
The movie also had a pinball table made that was based on it, as well as a Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis game (the latter of which by Sony Imagesoft), which followed a platform-style format. A Sega CD game was also produced by the same company that had a more adventure-based format that would sometimes switch to a fighting game.
References
- ^ Hinson, Hal. "'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein' (R)" Washingtonpost.com. 4 November 1994. 22 March 2008.
- ^ "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)." Box Office Mojo. 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein." Rotten Tomatoes. 28 August 2007.
- ^ Plath, James. "DVD Review of Bram Stoker's Dracula / Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (2-Disc)." DVDTOWN.com. 6 January 2006. 28 August 2007.
- ^ Demtschyna, Michael. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein." Michael D's Region 4 DVD Info Page. 3 October 1998. 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein." DVDLaser. 28 August 2007.