REVIEW:
There are some stories that are told again and again. Whether it is a classic monster movie (how many Draculas have there been?) or a take on a fairy tale brought to life, very often great filmmakers want to try their hand at making a version of the story. In the case of Frankenstein, two movies were released in very close proximity to each other. There was this one, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, and then the movie The Bridge, directed by Maggie Gylenhal. While I’ve yet to see that one, and gather that it is the story of The Bride of Frankenstein, more than the story of Frankenstein himself, this Del Toro movie is certainly worth paying attention to.
For one thing, there is no filmmaker in the world who is better equipped or suited for taking on this movie. Del Torro is a master of body horror and disection. That is to say, he is all about getting to the anatomy of creatures. Whether it’s a superhero movie (Blade 2,) or a giant monster film (Pacific Rim,) Del Torro loves cutting his creatures opened and examining what is inside. And for this movie, which is all about sewing together different human body parts, and brining a person (or the parts of a person,) back to life, Del Torro is perfect.
Now, that is not to say that the movie is perfect. At two and a half hours, this is one of those films that would have greatly benefited from a shorter run time. You see here’s the thing… Frankenstein, the creature, isn’t even brought to life for the entire first hour. Now, there are flash forwards to the end of the movie, (or you could say the whole movie is one long flashback, leading up to where the movie starts,) but either way in the story of how this creature came to be, they take an hour just to get to his coming into existence.
The movie wisely does show us the creature in the first hour, as Doctor Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, is being chased through the icy landscape by something unseen, and ends up climbing aboard a ship where he takes refuge. That’s when the creature emerges and throws around anyone who gets in his path. An unstoppable force, he makes his way to the ship, in pursuit of Victor.
And then we go back to where the story starts, with Victor at school practicing his experiments, and showing off his ideas about how to put life and energy into an otherwise lifeless body. There are some cool scenes here, like one where he demonstrates to a giant study hall room, that he can bring a torso and head, attached to a wooden head, to life. Then there’s another great scene in his lab where Victor again brings about half a body to life. But other than these two moments, the first hour of the movie is composed of debates and conversations about whether or not he actually can do it. It’s a long long time to go without him actually creating the monster.
Luckily the second hour or so moves at a much better pace. That’s where things really get interesting, starting with the creature waking up. As played by Jacob Elidori (from Saltburn,) this creature is terrific. I love the quiet performance behind it, and Elidori was Oscar nominated for the role, which was rightfully deserved. The anger and resentment that Victor has for his creature are terrific. I actually wish they delved a little deeper into that. Other than the fact that the creature can only say the name, “Victor,” why does the scientist consider himself such a failure, and consider Frankenstein such a horror, when it was all he hoped to achieve (other than the speaking part?)
What I do like is the tension between Victor and his brother’s wife (played by Mia Goth of X and Pearl.) Victor has feelings for her that are not returned. He sees a failure in the creature whereas she sees a work of beauty. And when Frankenstein says her name, proving that he can indeed say more than just Victor, instead of being happy about this, it turns out to be the final straw that pushes Victor over the edge. Out of anger, perhaps that this creature loves her more than it loves him, he then burns the castle he is working in, the lab, and the creature to the ground. Or so he tries.
From there, the movie becomes about the creature finding his way, befriending an old man, fighting off wolves, and eventually finding his way back to Victor. It’s a whole lot. This movie doesn’t excel when it tells a massive story. It excels when it gets into small details. The length definitely hurts it. Del Torro is a master director and his eye for art and beauty are unmatched. That being said, he needs to learn self-control. You want the audience to be happy, don’t overcomplicate things. Figure out what is best about your movie and idea and focus in on that. If this movie was just about the relationship between Victor, his brother, the wife, and the creature, it would have been great. As much as I don’t like the scenes that came before the creature appeared, in the first hour, if there was more to show the contentious relationship between Victor and his brother’s wife, it would have been terrific. Maybe if they had cut more from the first half, and instead given us more of the relationship between the creature and the woman, it could have worked. Especially if it helped us see why Victor was so angry about their relationship.
There’s a lot on the table here, and Del Torro definitely has remarkable craftsmanship and style. What he needs to work on is his storytelling ability. Like many great filmmakers today, he needs to learn that longer is not always better. In fact, it rarely is better. Movies that go for lengthy running times tend to tire audiences out. Instead, a better movie is to leave the audience wanting more. Too many movies and filmmakers haven’t figured that one out yet. Still Frankenstein is a pretty cool movie, that just could have been a little better.