In the 90's there was a string of remakes following the classic universal monsters: Dracula(Bram Stoker's Dracula), The Wolf Man(Wolf), The Mummy(The Mummy) and Frankenstein(Mary Shelley's Frankenstein). Sadly this is a more overlooked remake that I feel is a very strong movie. Not to deny any praise to the original Frankenstein from the 30's, Boris Karloff's performance is still one of the best and it's still a very scary movie. But there was no Frankenstein film to come out that would remain true to it's original story. In high school we read Frankenstein and it brought up so many interesting conflicts, where do you draw the line between living and playing God? Was Victor responsible for Elizabeth's death? Was the creature really a monster or just a victim? Kenneth Branagh took on this story and did an absolutely wonderful job.
Victor Frankenstein is the son of the wealthy Baron and Caroline Frankenstein. At one point in his childhood Victor's parents adopted Elizabeth, who would become the love of Victor's life. Years later Victor's mother dies giving birth to his brother William. Sometime before going off to the university, a grief-stricken Victor vows on his mother's grave that he will find a way to conquer death. On the night of his graduation Victor and Elizabeth promised to wed when Victor returns from his studies. He finds a friend in Henry Clerval and a mentor. Victor comes to believe that the only way to cheat death is to create life. Victor spends months in his apartment working on creating a living, breathing creature. Using dead body parts from various sources, he begins piecing a creature together. Late one night Victor finally gives his creation life, but he recoils from it in horror and renounces his experiments. But it might be too late for him to take back what he shouldn't have messed with in the first place.
Robert DeNiro did a great job playing The Creature, what a heartbreaking role to take on and he plays it with such amazing sympathy. He says to Victor "Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions? You made me, and you left me to die. Who am I?" and you seriously feel so much for him, he is the true victim. As in the book and not in the original movie, Victor does feel like a God when he is doing his experiments, but when he succeeds, he regrets it immediately. Kenneth did a wonderful job taking on this complicated man who isn't evil by any means but a victim of his own intelligence and wanting to cheat death. The supporting cast is wonderful with Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Hulce. The film can be a little over the top at times playing like a soap opera, but when I read the book, that's how I felt about the story as well. The sets, the costumes and the make are just incredible. Frankenstein is an underrated gem and deserves a better look. It's one of the most intelligent horror stories of all time, Kenneth put a lot of love into this film and I think Mary Shelley would be proud.
9/10
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