Film
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
- Director
- Kenneth Branagh
- Certificate
- 15
- Running Time
- 123 mins
Although largely faithful to its source, Ken Branagh‘s adaptation takes little time to ponder the book’s philosophical musings on the boundaries of human knowledge. The emphasis on what Branagh described as “a larger-than-life Gothic fairytale” is reflected in striking designs of Victor’s laboratory, James Acheson’s lavish costumes, and the fearsome scars sported by Bob De Niro‘s diminutive monster. Branagh’s imaginative visualisation of the monster’s creation retains the gothic shock value of the book, but Victor’s relationship with Elizabeth (Helena Bonham-Carter) lacks that essential spark, while De Niro is left to fend for himself in the sluggish central scenes. And in casting himself as the romantic leading man, Branagh’s arrogance matches that of his hero. Despite his attempts to stitch together the flashily filmed, fragmentary narrative, the film as a whole is less than the sum of its body parts.
It’s back on screen in the Watershed’s Frankenstein 200 June brunch season marking the 200th anniversary of publication of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece.
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
