Movie Review: 'Frankenstein' Is Guillermo del Toro's Masterpiece

 

The word "Frankenstein" evokes a visceral response from me every time I hear it. My mind races back in time to my first viewing of James Whale's haunting 1931 film. As a kid I feared the sight of the creature, and the movie was filled with dark shadows in stark black and white hallways. Boris Karloff's portrayal in the original film and then in Bride of Frankenstein (1935) defined what seemed gruesome and yet, as I got older, I found his performance to be somewhat sympathetic.   

del Toro obviously and assiduously studied those classics, because his Frankenstein includes many revised iterations of the scenes from Whale's two films, but it also gives rise to looking at the monster in a new way. While the director deserves much credit, Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the monster scream, stomp, and weep their way into embodying their characters in most compelling ways.

The movie begins on a ship stuck in Arctic ice. Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) and some of his men investigate a fire out on the ice, where they find a wounded Victor. In the distance the roar of an ungodly creature can be heard, and they rush Victor back to the ship where they presume they will be safe. 

Charles Dance plays Victor's father

Victor recovers well enough to start telling his story. Flashbacks to the past show Victor as a boy (Christian Convery) who lives in fear of his overbearing father Leopold (a terrific Charles Dance). His only refuge is his mother Claire (Mia Goth) who is pregnant. Leopold is teaching anatomy to his son, who seems to have an intuitive feel for the subject. Even when the boy shows a keen understanding of things, it doesn't satisfy Leopold's drive for perfection. 

These are important scenes because we see the birth of Victor's brother and his mother's death in childbirth. Leopold dotes on young William (Rafe Harwood) in ways Victor never experienced. After Leopold's death, Victor vows to be not just better than his father but the greatest doctor of all. 

Christoph Waltz as Victor's benefactor Harlander

We move forward to an adult Victor presenting his research in a hearing into his unusual medical methods when he unveils an animated partial creature that exhibits some abilities. The other doctors are at first excited but then deride Victor for exploring areas that should be left unknown. After the proceeding, a wealthy man named Harlander (the always excellent Christoph Waltz) expresses interest in his work. He also happens to be the uncle of Elizabeth (also played by Mia Goth) who is engaged to be married to his brother (Felix Kammerer).

Eventually, Harlander installs Victor in a castle with a recognizable tower high in the sky just perfect to collect lightning. Isaac gets under Victor's skin and instills movements, mannerisms, and facial expressions that allow us to see his transformation from an ambitious. brilliant young man into an obsessed maniac who has lost all sense of reason. This is not a parody of the late great Colin Clive's performance of Henry Frankenstein, who famously lost his mind and screamed, "It's alive!" when his monster moved its hand. Rather, it is a more nuanced but no less dangerous portrayal of an unhinged genius with the power to play god.

The monster being born 

In opposition to Victor is the monster he has created. The creature is technically the antagonist, but it is also difficult to call Victor the protagonist. Although I lovingly remember Karloff's portrayal, there is something compelling about how Elordi brings the monster to life in a manner that is childlike at first, and then transforms him into a rather eloquent and intelligent creature that not only wants to live but also to have a mate to share life with because he is lonely. This version of the monster is less frightening in appearance, but is still unsettling to look at.

The monster connects with Elizabeth

When William and Elizabeth come for a visit, their presence starts to set things in motion for everything to unravel. Elizabeth quickly finds the creature chained in the basement, and they develop a mesmerizing relationship. She seems to value his innocence and strength, while the monster admires her beauty and her sincere interest in his well being. 

Victor realizes what has happened between Elizabeth and the monster, and he believes the situation is out of control. With things not going the way that he has planned, Victor sends William and Elizabeth away before anything bad happens to them. He sets a massive fire to destroy the castle and his creation, but he gets injured after he has second thoughts and tries to go back into the castle to save the creature. Victor is seriously injured in a blast, and William and Elizabeth return and watch the fire in shock and amazement. 

Meanwhile, the creature does survive and escapes, setting out to get revenge. At this point the rest is spoiler territory, but I can say that del Toro does bring us some narrative throwbacks to the 1931 and 1935 films, including Elizabeth in a wedding dress, the creature interacting with a blind man and a little girl named Maria, and a wedding that is occurring at the wrong time. 

The film is visually beautiful with the juxtaposition of brightly colored landscapes and dark castle scenes. Cinematographer Dan Lausten has imbued the screen with gorgeous scenery, darker than dark nights, and works in unison with composer Alexandre Desplat to overwhelm our senses with visual and musical delights and depths of despair. 

Victor becoming more unhinged

Frankenstein is del Toro's masterpiece. The care and attention to detail in every scene keep moving the story forward toward its surprisingly and almost gentle conclusion. No one goes into the theater to see Hamlet and thinks that things are going to turn out well, and I can same thing here. However, del Toro incessantly reminds us that humanity's greatest gift is life, and that is not something that humans can take for granted or believe that they can play at being a god and not encounter severe consequences. 

The monster becoming more human

At one point in a crucial moment during the doomed wedding scene, William tells Victor, "You're the monster." Isaac does an amazing job of reinforcing his character's status, while Elordi's monster evolves and becomes more human as the story progresses, including one final act that proves his respect for humanity. del Toro leaves us with a final scene that is both memorable and meaningful, and you'll think about this movie long after watching it. That's what happens when we see a film masterpiece by a director who is seemingly at the height of his powers, 

I give the film the highest of recommendations, and you can watch it on Netflix in the comfort of your own home now. It is two and a half hours long, but I never looked at my watch once. Get some popcorn and enjoy what will be a memorable experience.