This Thursday it hits theaters Frankensteina new version of the 1818 novel Mary Shelley from the hand of the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. It will be a limited release before its premiere in Netflix next November 7th.
The Oscar-winning director adapts the classic story starring Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant but arrogant scientist who, in his desire to challenge the limits of nature, gives life to a creature (Jacob Elordi) through a monstrous experiment, triggering the downfall of both the creator and his tragic creation.
The Frankenstein project has been a lifelong dream for del Toro. “I’ve been making films for 30 years. I don’t think I’ll live another 30 years”the Oscar-winning director told the Vanity Fair portal in reference to his need to be able to tell his version of this story.
Guillermo del Toro’s relationship with Frankenstein: from fascination to the big screen
del Toro’s deep fascination with Frankenstein can be understood through a common thread within his filmography: the empathy for otherness.
From the Faun of Pan’s Labyrinth to the Amphibian Man of The shape of waterthe Mexican director has redefined the monster as a victim of human indifferencerather than as an intrinsic threat. This approach resonates directly with Shelley’s novel, where the Creature is not evil by nature, but becomes vengeful because of the cruel rejection and abandonment of its creator.
Del Toro sees in Frankenstein’s creature the archetype of innocent outcast seeking affection and understanding, a motif he has consistently explored by contrasting the purity of his fantastical beings with the true monstrosity of intolerant and ambitious humans.
The film is told from two points of view, first we have Victor’s vision and then the story told from the creature’s perspective. At times this is a success, since it can be go deeper into each of the protagonists and a kind of duality “father/son”from the vision of each one.
Isaac’s Frankenstein is shown how an eccentric doctor with the air of a rockstar. He is convinced of his abilities and plays at “being God” until finally (and given the success of his experiment) he realizes that the result is not what he expected. On the other hand, the creature of Elordi feels vulnerablea being who suffers rejection from his creator but at the same time is brutal whenever the situation warrants it.
Frankenstein Netflix
Beyond the successes, there are moments where the story loses strength and this has a lot to do with the limited role of some secondary characters. Such is the case of Mia Goth and her double role, the first as Victor’s mother and the second as Elizabeth, Victor’s brother’s fiancee. Elizabeth will become a love interest for the creator and the creature, but that development feels very limited and forced.
As for the visual section, the Bull shines once again with his already regular collaborator Dan Laustsen. In addition to the aforementioned Isaac, Elordi and Goth, the film’s cast is complemented by Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Lauren Collins, Charles Dance and Christoph Waltz.
While there have already been many adaptations of Frankenstein throughout history (and there are more to come soon) Netflix’s bet on Guillermo del Toro’s vision is worth it. You can feel the Mexican’s love for history, and after so many years of trying, that love is finally a reality captured on a screen.
Frankenstein hits theaters on Thursday, October 23 and on Netflix on November 7.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
