Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hallmark goes Gothic, October 28, 2004
Ever since I experienced the mild disappointment of Kenneth Branagh's film "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein", I had dreamed that someone somewhere would finally do a truly faithful film version of the greatest horror story ever told. I think I may have found what I was looking for in this three and a half hour long gothic melodrama. Most of Shelly's story is left completely intact with only some minor changes and additions. One significant addition is Victor's close bond with his teacher Professor Waldman (brilliantly played by William Hurt with a delightful German accent). This friendship is never fully explored in the novel. Another is Victor's ongoing hallucinations brought on by shock and brain fever. The novel mentions nightmares, but not hallucinations. Victor's childhood is explored deeper than it was in the book and presents us with a genesis of his morbid obsessions with life and death. It also fleshes out his relationship with Elizabeth. Another change is Victor and Henry's trip to Ireland, instead they return to Ingolstadt. Lastly, the part in the novel where the creature is shot after trying to save a drowning girl is left out. There are some other minor additions, but nothing significant enough to mention. So what we have here is something much, much closer to Shelly than even Branagh's version from 1993. It contains all of the questions asked in the novel, all of the dynamics of Shelly's vision, and all of the tragedy without being as over-the-top and bombastic as a Hollywood produced film. Now, is it a good movie? I admit I'm not a fan of Hallmark. Their films are far to warm, fuzzy and unrealistically optimistic for me, and I find many of them to be rather revolting. This is why I was amazed when I saw Frankenstein. Hallmark producing a depress-fest like this?! As a film, although it doesn't have the "cinematic element" of theatrical releases, I felt it is a far superior film version of Frankenstein than anything done since 1931. The acting is solid-to superb, the emotional element is there (I defy anyone who thinks they can get away without at least a lump in their throat after seeing this), the sets and costumes are excellent, and we have the best looking Monster since Karloff. Hats off to the makeup designers! By the way, Luke Goss steals the show as the Monster who only desires to love and be loved, but is driven to murder. Another thing they got RIGHT this time is that each time the Monster kills; he feels overwhelming remorse and is often driven to tears. Shelly's original vision of the Monster was a creature that was inhuman outwardly, but within, the epitome of Humanity. The Monster was never supposed to be soulless. He's portrayed by Goss as a noble and highly intelligent (if physically unattractive) Gothic Anti-Hero. Just as he was in the book. He even quotes Milton's Paradise Lost. A far cry from the lumbering, brutish, child-like killer we're used to. This film is highly recommended to anyone even remotely interested in the Frankenstein myth. And if you're like me, a major fan of the original novel, you'll find this movie to be absolutely wonderful. It's a shame that it received virtually no promotion and was limited to being aired on the Hallmark channel. Go get the dvd!
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, the Mary Shelley Classic Gets Its Due, October 29, 2004
FRANKENSTEIN is a three and a half hour epic that recreates Mary Shelley's classic tale of the dichotomy of science vs humanities in a keenly wrought script by Mark Kruger. For all its length and emphasis on special effects, sets, costumes, flashbacks etc, this film produced by Hallmark for television proves its mettle when viewed non-stop on the recently released DVD.
Director Kevin Connor wisely emphasizes the morality issues in Shelley's novel and does not opt for the usual so-weird-that-it-becomes-comical focus on the manmade monster (a sensitive Luke Goss) of Dr. Frankenstein (Alec Newman). Through a series of flashbacks (the tale opens with on an ice-stranded ship captained by a man (Donald Sutherland) in search of his own scientific truths. Enter Dr. Victor Frankenstein, ill from his pursuit of the monster he created in his German laboratory under the tutelage of Professor Waldman (William Hurt). The film flashbacks to Victor's childhood and the impact of the death of his mother (Julie Delphy) that drives Victor to understand 'death' in hopes of being able to reverse it. We meet his adopted sister Elizabeth (Nicole Levin) who is later to become his love and his wife, and his childhood friend Henry (Dan Stevens) who will follow Victor through the trials of his life.
With tremendous veracity we see Victor's motivation to overcome death in a laboratory that is not eerie but wonderfully life-affirming, a place where he restores life to frogs and dogs killed by accidents. Victor becomes obsessed with his work and eventually creates a 'man' from the body parts of the dead laying in open graves in the paupers' graveyard. Using the electrical current from lightning he brings his creature to life - and from this point on the error of his creation pursues him.
The 'monster' is not the freak usually displayed, but a tender soul, hungry for love, for family, for tenderness. His outward appearance creates the 'bad monster' in the eyes of the public and the monster begins a course of killings, all in response to his need to have his 'father' (Dr Frankenstein) provide a love object/source for him.
Yes, the story and its conclusion are known to everyone. The difference here is the view that man must take responsibility for all his actions and that ignoring the emotional needs of anyone is committing a crime. All of the actors are excellent, the period evocation is elegant, and the special effects are subtly handled. Connor has a hard time making his crowd scenes credible: his cast of extras seems to be gathered from people who have no clue how to act. But given the flaws in a movie too long for one sitting, this film manages to be true to the reasons Mary Shelley wrote this book, a book that is among the most famous ever written. This is a FRANKENSTEIN that cares more about character motivation than being a fright Halloween film.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST Novel to Screen Adaptation Yet!!, October 6, 2004
I just finished watching this 4 hour epic masterpiece and have to say this is the most accurate portrayal of Mary Shelley's novel yet. We have all seen Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee portray the Creature and although these are extremely classic in filmgoers minds eyes (mine included), there has never been an adaptation that has followed the events in the book so closely. When Kenneth Brannaugh originally announced he was filming "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein", I was very happy that someone was going to film the novel. Well, this turned out to be my biggest movie going disappointment ever. The reality is that I don't think anyone could ever film a worse version than that on such an overblown budget. Hollywood has always had a history of butchering probably the one of the most intellegent horror novel ever written...UNTIL NOW!
I had no expectations for this film due to the fact it is a made for TV movie. Considering it was also a production of the USA network, I had my hesitations. I just decided to watch it by chance only because of the name and was completely won over. From the very first scenes with Donald Sutherland as the captain of the Prometheus when he finds Frankenstein in the arctic to the amazing scenes of the creature's first breath. WOW!! This is incredibly powerful stuff. Not only are the portrayals and sequence of events true to the book but the laboratory equipment (which has always exceded the technology of the times in past movies) is what you would expect without being overdone. In my opinion, the creation scene is one of the most powerful ever filmed. I do NOT diminish the Clive/Karloff version in any way because that is truly the MOST classic but this is what you envision when you read the book. The only element that wasn't really played upon that Mary Shelley explained in great depth in the novel was Frankenstein's involvement in Alchemy. But with the detail to which every other element of the novel has been recreated, this can be overlooked. In the novel, the creation sequence is extremely vague, to say the least. This adaptation gives a very understated yet compelling portrayal.
On to the creature. Again, no disrespect to the classics, but the boxed heads, green complexions, bolts, and overly scarred interpretations are gone. The creature also has a very understated makeup that is fittingly perfect. Mary Shelley describes a being with long, black hair, yellow complexion, and sunken eyes. This is what we get!! Perfect!! Truly beautiful in it's horror. The creature is portrayed with amazing pathos and intelligence. The scene of realization after he is chased from the house by the blind man's son and he looks at his reflection in the water is absolutely brilliant. When he beckons to God in regards to his appearance...I am at a loss for words.
Every portrayal in this adaptation is played perfectly and with great understanding of the novel. I love to watch movies with Donald Sutherland so enough has been said right there. William Hurt as Dr. Waldman is (do I dare say it?) brilliant. Mary Shelley couldn't have asked for a greater homage to her book. Finally, a true to life interpretation of a classic that in all rights should be considered a classic in itself.
I anticipate the release of this to DVD and will buy it the day it comes out. Don't hesitate, every Frankenstein fan should have this in their collection.
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