Victor Frankenstein Film Analysis

Frankenstein removes himself from friends, family and society in order to absolve himself from responsibility of morals. Through efforts to maintain control and an acute fascination, Frankenstein alienates himself at an early age in the name of science. Victor is not entirely ignorant of the dangers of his self-satisfying obsession as he first regrettably reflects, “I was, to a great degree, self-taught with regard to my favorite studies. My father was not scientific, and I was left to struggle with a child’s blindness, added to a student’s thirst for knowledge” (Shelley 28). Rather than recognizing that his isolation is self-induced, Victor blames his alienation on his father’s ignorance. By controlling his relationships, he gains greater confidence in his own abilities, instead of relying on others’ companionship. Notably, evidence for Victor’s disregard toward “domestic affection” is reintroduced as he remarks, “I must absent myself from all I loved while thus employed. Once commenced, it would quickly be achieved, and I might be restored to my family in peace and happiness” (Shelley 138). With selfishness at the core, Victor controls his chaos by distancing himself temporarily, so that he might reunite with his family at a later date. He is being inundated by the common belief that glorious scientific achievement comes at the cost of moral and ethical sacrifice. Victor justifies his self-alienation by means of the creature; however readers

The novel Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1818. This gothic romance novel tells the story of a philosopher who discovered how to create life, without the full knowledge that his actions could cause grave consequences. Universal Studios made the film version of this novel in 1931. Unfortunately, the film version of Frankenstein has more differences than similarities to the novel. In the novel, Victor’s mental obsession seems to be more severe than in the film. The character of Victor Frankenstein was portrayed in both the novel and the film as a veriphobe, or one who is afraid of the truth, in this case, the truth of his actions. He

Both Victor and Frankenstein have curiosity about the world around them. Victor leaves both his family and friends and goes away to a college institution to study science. At the college Victor finds his new passion for science and Victor works diligently to create a new form of a living being. Victor becomes so dedicated to creating the monster that he loses his insight to the entire world. Victors dedication to creation and science

In many movie adaptations of a novel, the film doesn’t do the book justice in its story telling. Movie versions generally do not focus on the characters’ emotions or thoughts like the books do. They also do not develop the characters as well as the original story, giving the viewer little to no knowledge of a certain person. This is the case in Frankenstein. While there are some similarities between the original written version and the one on screen, the movie doesn’t delve into the lives of the main characters: Victor and the creature. The loss of characterization and focus on their lives takes away the audience’s take on consequences.

The book Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a unique novel in that it switches between three different narrators throughout the story. When Robert Walton is narrating, the tone is meditative and the mood is enthralled; when Frankenstein narrates the tone is horrified and the mood is suspenseful, and when the Creature is narrating, the tone is reflective and the mood is sympathetic.

Young Frankenstein of course is majorly different from Frankenstein,however, has many similarities. For example, cinematically, Young Frankenstein’s dominating editing to transition between scenes was the fade-out-fade-in technique, which was the only editing technique used in the original. This film as well as the original, did not have many special effects, except for the excessive use of fog and lighting noises. Young Frankenstein uses more music, mostly because of the monsters attraction to it, however, it gives the audience a sense to what is to come. A recurring cinematic aspect was breaking the fourth fall. Igor’s character especially looked directly into the camera and spoke. Dramatically speaking, the actors did an excellent job at conveying the humor meant for the film.

This foreshadowing is important because it is what allows us to see the changes that Frankenstein went through as well as to give tension as to what will happen to him latter on as a result of what happened on that fateful day. "Thus ended a day memorable to me; it decided my future destiny." (6)

Victor uses his knowledge not for the benefit of society, but for his own purpose of experimentation which ends up turning out the opposite way that he imagines. Knowing his own vanity, Victor says "lean from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow" (Shelley 38). After creating the monster and all the hardships Victor had to go through, he realizes that a person should be happy with the world around him/her and not try to change it. He admits that trying to become a man greater than who he could be drove him mad and his knowledge went in tow with it. From

Victor Frankenstein’s fixation on the understanding of life, shows the negative psychological and physical effects of obsession as his mind becomes more centered around this passion. As a child Victor has explicitly said that “The world was to [him] a secret which [Victor] desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as [the secrets] were unfolded to [him], are among the earliest

At this point Victor is responsible for two deaths and must keep this all to himself. By suffering through the guilt and the illness it is clear that his decisions that were made in order to deepen his knowledge of the scientific world are becoming dangerous to himself and the people close to him.

A Comparison of Film and Novel Versions of Frankenstein The nature of horror stories gives the reader/audience a feeling of intense fear, shock or disgust. It creates an atmosphere of tension for the reader/audience. Horror stories are designed to entertain people by causing enjoyable feelings of horror.

Part of the dehumanization of Frankenstein’s monster is probably resultant of the loss of framing from Shelley’s novel. “Bride of Frankenstein” tries to establish framing through Shelley telling the story but never concludes it. This unsuccessful frame adds only to the history surrounding Frankenstein. The novel is framed through the letters of Walton. The reader then experiences Victor Frankenstein’s viewpoint followed by an insightful narrative from the monster in the middle of the novel. The monster has learned English and has free, independent thought. He tells of his experiences after being created by Victor Frankenstein, and relates his process of learning about his language, surroundings and human emotion. This narrative provides a significant view of the psychology of human development, relates the problems of creating life using technology, and substantiates the Monster’s actions. The science fiction genre is necessary to the story as it allows a connection to the monster and to many of the deeper meanings of the story. When the story becomes a horror, a distance is created between the audience and the monster that undermines the monster’s very important contribution to the story.

How can we think of Frankenstein and ignore the film classic of 1931? Yet the celebrated film does not follow the novel by Mary Shelley. Although the scene of a futuristic laboratory entrances movie audiences with the mad Dr. Frankenstein and his faithful assistant Igor, the scene is derived from twentieth century imaginations and interests, not the novel itself.

In 1818 Mary Shelley wrote a horrific novel titled Frankenstein. It was such a hit back then, that it is still people still republish and make shows and movies from the book. Frankenstein, is about a young man, Victor Frankenstein, who is obsessed with science and trying to find the secret to life. While he is away at college, he thinks he has found it and begins putting a person together using various body parts. As soon as the person has life, Victor realizes his creation is a monster and immediately regrets the monster he has brought to life. He goes several years with hearing nothing from the monster and then finds it killed his youngest brother. On his return home, he decides he will track the monster down. It does not go so well though.

Victor feels that his relentless search for more knowledge is the cause for all of his suffering. It is true that his knowledge is what created the creature, but what made things worse is that he never gave the creature what he needed, so the neglected creature set out to find it himself. Victor’s tragic fate was not the result of his knowledge but because he did not take care of his creature. 6. Foreshadowing is seen multiple times such as the night when Victor sees lightning strike down a tree and Victor is fascinated with how much power the lighting has. The monster also foreshadows his own death when saying, “But soon I shall die.. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames..” 7. By not giving his creation a name, Victor didn’t give his creature an identity or a place in society. In society, a person’s name is who they are, people make their own judgment of people right away. The creature didn’t have a name and people judged him right away and identified him as monster and only that, rather than an actual being. 8. During the period in which Frankenstein was written, science was growing and it was seen as anything could be possible with the new research and