Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, directed By Aidan Day Don't mess. Do what your told. The present order of things is natural and proper. This is the message of Branagh's latest.
It's a dog's dinner of a film. While claiming to be true to Shelley's original it manages by a small number of plot shifts to turn her intentions upside down, suck out the politics and smother all the radicalism in liberal cant.
When it came out in 1818 the author dedicated the book to her father William Godwin the anarchist philosopher. Mary was also the daughter of pioneer feminist Mary Wollenscraft. Both were influenced by the group known as the English Jacobins. She grew up in an atmosphere bathed in the intellectual and political aftermath of the French revolution.
The novel was a product of its time. But you wouldn't know it from the film. Branagh has managed to lose everything that's important, and transform the work into a piece of conservative liberal individualism. As a rendering of Shelley's intentions the film is a gross distortion.
When the company men of Badly cut. Branagh's gross distortion Hollywood were looking out for another big money maker to follow Bram Stoker's Dracular this story must have seemed ideal. But whereas Coppola at least tried to address current issues like AIDS and sexuality, Branagh chooses to ignore the tremendous potential of the text to highlight the modern missuses and abuses of technology in favour of a lightweight morality tale.
The film concentrates on the character of Frankenstein — played by Branagh. He is obsessionally concerned with his creation. But once brought to life, the scientist wants nothing to do with it.
In the original this is a key theme — new life needs nur. turing and tenderness. In line with Godwin's political thought, Mary Shelley emphasised the dire results of abanconment and mistreatment in contrast to the huge potential for love and fellowship that lies within people.
Branagh's approach is difHard at work producing a real horror: Branagh as Frankenstein ferent. He uses the tale to first time the early "birthing" show how foolhardy are those scene is repeated again at the who try to change the world. end of the film with a new Although sympathetic, the creation. This gives the direclead character is demonstrated tor a second opportunity to to be totally misguided in his run around the studio baredesire to mess with the unalter- chested pulling on chains and able laws of nature. This is jumping off giant steaming hammered home in the - copper containers. The glistencompletely altered - final ing perspiration shows off how well defined his stomach ccene It is the belief in "a vision" muscles are — aside from this that is his undoing. Presum- the ten minutes is of little ably we should conclude that value. Indeed the plotting such things are to be rejected throughout is very poor.
- belief in nothing is prefer- The whole film is shot in a able. Instead of action we rather irritating music video should emphasise responsibil- style. The camera never stops ity. This reflects a strong trend moving, and whenever possiin the British intelligentsia ble it revolves madly around away from radicalism towards its subject. The cuts are short, passivity in the face of reac- abrupt and a little frantic. tion - Tony Blair is one of its This is a useful technique many spokespersons! for increasing the dramatic Mary Shelley wanted to de- pace of a movie, but becomes scribe the impact of a technol- extremely tiresome when stiogy that runs out of control tained for an hour and a half. and the truth of Godwin's be- Continuity is sacrificed in falief in the capacity for happi- vour of movement for its own ness that lies in collective sake. responsibility. Trying to get Frankenstein Branagh ignores all this. to compete with Hollywood The problem for him lies not blockbuster thrillers is a misin the terrible treatment and take — the product looks a bit conditions but in the very fact too much like the Duran of creation. Duran wild boys video.
Just in case we missed it the All the disquieting depths of the novel disappear. Not even De Niro's efforts can rescue it.
It was inevitable that the best boy Branagh would be upstaged by his antagonist; and so too that this reviewer would pay due homage to De Niro's proficiency. He achieves admirably that most difficult balance between sympathy and Even when his character is out of his head with blood lust and revenge, visiting violence on all around, there is appeal in his expression. As in Taxi Driver and Cape Fear the mistreated outcast holds motives that are noble and — to an extent - attractive. It is to the detriment of the film that Branagh does not give some of the wonderful soliloquies of the book to De Niro. They would have improved the rather obvious Americanised dialogue no end.
This film must go down as a missed opportunity. It is not often non-Hollywood directors get whopping great budgets to make films - - Branagh has wasted his. A novel of substance and significance has been rendered as glitzy froth. A shame.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No.72, November 19 1994, Page 14