There is no question that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a masterpiece, so
When the new adaptation was announced, I was hopeful but a tad reserved.
Guillermo del Toro’s latest film is beautifully made; however, there are deviations
from the original text that some may argue rewrote what made the book so powerful.
It still tells the classic tale, but the way the film reframes characters, motivations, and even the creature himself, often softens the edges that Shelley so deliberately
carved. It is not that the film itself is bad, but it is different, and for a lover of the book, that difference can be jarring.
Perhaps one of the most striking changes is Victor himself. In the novel, he is
more reserved, not telling anyone about his experiments and fleeing in horror as
soon as his creature opens his eyes. He is a coward in Shelley’s text, and that is the whole point. The film Victor is much more confident. He wants the world to see his accomplishments and brags about his prowess. This motivation comes from
another divergence from the book: Victor’s father. In Shelley’s version, his father is
kind and supportive, albeit sceptical at times, but in the film, he is cold and cruel.
This change feels like an easy way to give Victor ‘daddy issues’ as an excuse for his
arrogance, but Shelley’s Victor does not need excuses. His tragedy is that he knows better and yet does it anyway.
Another major shift is the creature. Shelley characterises him as intelligent,
but he also has a vengeful streak that is evident in his strangulation of Victor’s
brother and murder of Elizabeth. These acts are all carefully calculated to punish
Victor, but that doesn’t excuse his violent crimes. However, Del Toro’s creature is
more childlike, and his acts of violence are all either self-defence or accidents. This
creates a more sympathetic version, but it takes away the nuance and contradictions
of Shelley’s creature, arguably making Del Toro’s version fall flat.
Elizabeth has also been reimagined from Victor’s passive bride in the book to
a more independent voice in the film. Although despite this agency and tendency to
challenge Victor, she mainly serves as a foil to serve Victor’s own emptiness rather
than her own desires. She instead represents the nurturing side that Victor lacks.
The ending also differs. In the original, Victor dies alone without the presence
of the creature. In the film, however, there is more closure between them as the
creature chooses to forgive Victor. Everything feels tied up in a neat bow, but was it
needed? Shelley’s ending is more bleak as Victor does not earn redemption, rather
suffers the consequences of his actions.
Del Toro’s Frankenstein is not as much of a horror story as Shelley’s. It is more a father-son drama about neglect and the craving for love. It is moving and well-acted, but is it Frankenstein? It is a version, sure, but perhaps it swayed a little too far from the book we all know and love.
Illustration Via Tracy Ratliff @paisley_pen_creative for The Student