Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Dissapointing adaption of the Classic Horror Novel., June 11, 2009
Follow-up tp to the smash hit that was the superior, "Bram Stoker's Dracula(1992)", this was one of the most highly anticipated films of the mid 90s.
Francis Ford Coppola was originally supposed to be the director, but was exhausted after his work on the Dracula film, so the reigns were given over to Shakespeare helmer, Kenneth Branagh. The drama built as major stars became attached to the project, notably Robert Deniro in the role of the Monster, easily the most high profile actor attached since Boris Karloff to the role.
Branagh would play Frankenstein and this adaption would actually adapt the novel "for the first time".(Not true. There was already a far more superior and faithful version in "Terror of Frankenstein(1976)").
The film was released in November of 1994 to severely lukewarm reactions from audiences and critics.
The reason was easy to define but the film was also a fascinating disaster nonetheless.
Frankenstein had always been a favorite story of mine and nearly every adaption of the novel was sought out by myself since childhood. Most versions followed the outline set by the James Whale film of 1931.
This version was a major studio production with a big cast and director at the helm. It made the result that much more unsatisfying.
The film begins like in the novel in the arctic with Captain Robert Walton(Aidan Quinn) encountering Victor Frankenstein(Kenneth Branagh) in the ice. Frankenstein tells Walton his story, but there's no connection and virtually no purpose. Like much in thsi film, it's rushed. There's not much going on here and unlike other versions, this narrative structure is all but ignored for the remainder of the picture, dilluting it's impact.
Victor recalls his childhood in Geneva and what made him become so obsessed with creating life. This segment of the film is good and it's fascinating to understand what makes the famous doctor tick. Frankenstein travels to Ignolstadt when he comes of age and has a hard time at the University where he is studying and is largely misunderstood even by pseudo-comic relief of new found best friend, Henry Cleveral(Tom Hulce). By the way this is one of major detractions from the novel as Henry had been friends with Victor since childhood in the novel. Victor meets up with Doctor Waldman(John Cleese, wonderful and against type) as a Professor who had shared the same kind of fanaticism that Victor does when he was younger. He tells Victor to not continue with his experiments, but is offed by a beggar(Robert De Niro) and this forms the catalyst for Victor to begin work on his Monster. He steals Waldman' brain(like in "Curse of Frankenstein(1957)") and steals the beggar's body among other body parts. His laboratory is where it was in the novel, in his apartment, but I doubt Shelly imagined Victor designing a machine that resembles a metallic phallus complete with a set of balls! There's even veins painted on! The creation scene tries to be over the top, but still can't come close to the one in "Bride of Frankenstein(1935)". Probally because that one didn't need such blatant sexual imagery. Before long, Branagh is shirtless and wet on top of a copper vat shouting "live! live! LIIIVVVVEEEE!!!!!" like some High School Cheerleader.
His Monster comes to life and wrestles with Victor for a little bit(somewhat hilariously) and ends up being caugt on some chains and being cinked on the head. Victor thinks he's dead but we know better. So when Victor goes to sleep, the Monster awakens him and chases him and the hilarity has officially begun.
No one could ever forget the introduction of Karloff's Monster in the 1931 film, walking into a room with his back turned and revealing that iconic face with each successive close up. Or even Christopher Lee's scarred visage after ripping off his bandages on his face in "Curse of Frankenstein(1957)". In Branagh's film we get a quick medium shot and that's it of Deniro's Monster.
And it's a lame make up folks. Not too unearthly and rather plain, the make up was bets described by one critic and I quote, as a "Post Blood bath Travis Bickle meets a baseball".
Deniro's Monster roams the streets the next day and is found and is blamed by the town for the current Cholera epidemic. He fights them off with moves that he must have "remmebered" from a Pro-Wrestler and escapes into the forest. In every other version, the Monster is depicted as being a huge giant. Branagh was afraid of "size jokes"(oh NOW he's concerned!) and kept Deniro as a pretty small guy. Too bad it's utterly unbelievable to see the small guy tossing people about like ragdolls.
Branagh is nursed back to health by Henry and his fiance, Elizabeth(Helen Bonham Carter), a character who's independance is more 1990s than 1790s and dosen't gel with the film. Neither does her romance with Branagh, who both have zero chemistry. She's pretty in this, but that's by default.
Deniro ends up at a cottage of poor folks like in the novel, except things have changed once again. There's no foreign babe being taught english by her Husband and his father like in the novel, just some dude's wife teaching her kids english. No babe, just kids. So the Monster learns to speak and discovers some books(including Victor's journal in his jacket since he stole the jacket from the library before) and becomes intellectual. Some what. He helps the family getting vegtables from there frozen garden and gets them firewood, too. He eventually introduces himself to the blind father of the family and it's typically, like in most versions, a highlight. However, like everything in this movie, it's rushed and over too quickly. The Monster burns down the cottage and makes his way towards Geneva to strike vengeance on Victor and his family.
He murders Victor's brother, William and this death causes his maid, Justine to be executed wrongfully.
Victor and the Monster meet each other in a brightly lit ice cave and the scene makes the Monster appear more a wizened indian than a patchwork monster. He demands a mate and of course, Victor does not go through. We're spared the gory destruction of the would be bride from the novel because Vic doesen't even get that far.
The Monster stalks him down and kills Elizabeth on there wedding night and this leads to the film's silliest moment. In a truly dramatic departure from the novel, Victor actually reanimates Elizabeth and the Monster and her fight over her. It's a ridiculous scene and shoudl have been excised. Perhaps this was to replace the "destruction of the Bride" sequence but it's poor compensation. And what's worse.....the creepiest and best writing in the novel is not here! Now mind you, this is a long film, but to cut Victor's hunt for the Monster was a truly poor decision.
The film ends in the Arctic and Victor passes on from exhaustion. The Monster weeps over his corpse and a funeral is held before the ice breaks and lots of stuntwork is evidenced. The Monster intones to Walton, who actually suggest that the criminal psychopath join them(!) that he is "done with man" and burns himself(and Victor's corpse, on a fuineral pyre.
Walton and his crew decide to go home and we could care less and we press the eject button and try to determine what we just saw.
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is not a good movie. It's hardly even a decent one, but it's so fascinating in it's failings that it's a must for review.
A reason for it's failing are numerous. Branagh is not bad in the lead role, just miscast. Deniro is decent but remains doggedly Denirosih throughout the course of the picture, evoking one of the pathos of Karloff or any of the terror of the novel.
It's main problem may be that the film is afraid to actually be scary, seeming to forget that this is a Horror story afterall.
A con current production made to cash in on this film, amde by TNT and starring Patrick Bergin as the doctor and Randy Quaid as the Monster, was not great but was an example of a lower budgeted competitor being the more interesting film.
Two other film adaptions are actually more faithful. The creepiest and most disturbing was the 1976 Swedish/Irish production of "Terror of Frankenstein" with Leon Vitalli as Frankenstein and a haunting, Per Oscarrson as a ghoulish Monster. Hallmark made an epic three hour film version(!) in 2004 that was just as faithful and alot more satisfying than the Branagh film. It was well acted and photographed, it's only fault(that it shared with the 1994 version) was that it was not that scary.
Branagh's film at the very least is an intriguing footnote in the history of the Famous Monster story and is still required viewing for fans of the story and the curious Horror fan.
This DVD edition is the way to see it, showing off one of the film's genuine assets: that being it's widescreen cinematography. It's basically bare bones though, save for a few trailers. I'd love to see a Special Edition someday to perhaps learn more about the production of this most interesting of Box Office flops.
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DVD ~ Roger Jacquet
DVD ~ Luke Goss
DVD ~ Laurence Fishburne
