Film and novel of this Mary Shelley story differ from each other in a couple of ways. In the novel the creation is named Adam while in film he has no name. Also, the creation is the tragic hero of the novel where Henry Frankenstein is hero in film version. FRANKENSTEIN, the novel is the most famous literary work of Mary Shelley whose creative life was surrounded by famous writers such as her cousin, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and husband, Lord Byron. Only half of novel is used in film and other half was used for Bride of Frankenstein(1935).
Excellent adaptation of an engrossing gothic novel. Any film that is based on literature is capable of being good without being totally faithful if its able to capture the spirit. Frankenstein(1931) does not faithfully hold true to its original source but succeeds in retaining the novel's essential qualities. James Whale does a good job in adapting the main ideas of the novel to fit in with his own cinematic themes. Frankenstein(1931) and Curse of Frankenstein(1957) are the best film versions of the Mary Shelley novel.
Frankenstein(1931) contains a mode and taste that is indebted to the German Expressionist movement. German Expressionism was tremendously weightly on American horrop films of early 1930s. Frankenstein(1931) is a sound picture with silent film characteristics. Castle setting in Frankenstein(1931) recalls the gothic imagery of many German Expressionist films of the 1920s. Frankenstein(1931) was in essence an American Expressionist horror film.
An old fashion horror film that relies on atmosphere, implicit horror, mood, and gothic settings. Black and white photography is a good look for cinema because the composition of images come out naturally. Black and white horror has the flavor and tone of a lot of early gothic literature. Frankenstein(1931) is the quintessential black and white horror picture that is driven by the human feelings of fear and superstitution. Since color is now the dominating photography style in cinema, there has been recently few horror films that have been done in black and white.
Dracula(1931) and Frankenstein(1931) were the catalysts for Universal horror which is the first important long period in horror cinema. Universal horror gave audienences memorable film monsters that would become cinema icons. Movies like the two mentioned above in first sentence gave birth to many sequals and ensured a two decade dominance in horror cinema by Universal Studios. After Universal horror died out, a new face in horror known as Hammer horror in the late 1950s began its own long run of brilliantly done horror films. Frankenstein(1931) epiomizes what was good about Universal horror and the visionary minds behind these kinds of films.
Evolution of Frankenstein creation from novel to film is ever changing considering how different he is presented in each film about him. Actually he has gone from being presented as a misunderstood tragic hero(novel) to being depicted as a mindless monster(cinema). Adam(creation) is a sympathetic character who's full of emotions which he cannot express via lack of articulate voice. He is childlike in his behavior and manners who is frustrated by the lack of human love. In later films, Adam(creation) is shown as an evil monster which is not the way the author of the novel intended to portray him.
Frankenstein(1931) made Boris Karloff as a big horror icon. He is the actor that best personifies the tragic qualities of Adam(creation). Boris Karloff although does not have a speaking role expresses thoughts that speak in images which wouldn't have the same effect in words. When he was given a good role to work with, Boris Karloff was nothing less than superb. The Essence of the Frankenstein creation is given a complex form as a result of the excellent acting from Boris Karloff.
Henry Frankenstein creates Adam out of a quest to master the secrets of life and death. His goal is to equal or replace God by using science as a way of knowing how to make life out of scretch. Frankenstein's attempt to equal or replace God is the underlining theme of both the novel and film because it raises interesting notions on the continuous conflict between religion and science. In human history there has always been friction between religion and science and Frankenstein(1931) plays on this idea with moral intellegence. Attempt by Henry Frankenstein to equal or replace God is not entirely successful and ends with the creator shunning his creation because of imperfections.
Part of the Frankenstein story was inspired by the Golem legend. The Golem was a created man made out of clay who was to protect Jews from prosection in a foreign country. The Golem unfortuately was hard to control and had to be distroyed. The idea of a creation that the creator had trouble controlling must have been an intriguing idea for Mary Shelley when she began to write the novel. FRANKENSTEIN, the novel was done as a contest betweel Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron to who would do the best gothic story.
Frankenstein(1931) was made immortal in the hearts of filmgoers by the famous "Its alive" cries of Henry Frankenstein. The scene with little Maria did not sit well with censors at the time and was cut because it was deemed too scary for a portion of the audience. Eventually it was restored years later which is good since it depicts the misunderstood nature of Adam the best. Bela Lugosi was offered the role of the creation before Boris Karloff but turned it down. Frankenstein(1931) has aged well and continues to chill the spines of viewers whether at home or at a movie theater.
Excellent adaptation of an engrossing gothic novel. Any film that is based on literature is capable of being good without being totally faithful if its able to capture the spirit. Frankenstein(1931) does not faithfully hold true to its original source but succeeds in retaining the novel's essential qualities. James Whale does a good job in adapting the main ideas of the novel to fit in with his own cinematic themes. Frankenstein(1931) and Curse of Frankenstein(1957) are the best film versions of the Mary Shelley novel.
Frankenstein(1931) contains a mode and taste that is indebted to the German Expressionist movement. German Expressionism was tremendously weightly on American horrop films of early 1930s. Frankenstein(1931) is a sound picture with silent film characteristics. Castle setting in Frankenstein(1931) recalls the gothic imagery of many German Expressionist films of the 1920s. Frankenstein(1931) was in essence an American Expressionist horror film.
An old fashion horror film that relies on atmosphere, implicit horror, mood, and gothic settings. Black and white photography is a good look for cinema because the composition of images come out naturally. Black and white horror has the flavor and tone of a lot of early gothic literature. Frankenstein(1931) is the quintessential black and white horror picture that is driven by the human feelings of fear and superstitution. Since color is now the dominating photography style in cinema, there has been recently few horror films that have been done in black and white.
Dracula(1931) and Frankenstein(1931) were the catalysts for Universal horror which is the first important long period in horror cinema. Universal horror gave audienences memorable film monsters that would become cinema icons. Movies like the two mentioned above in first sentence gave birth to many sequals and ensured a two decade dominance in horror cinema by Universal Studios. After Universal horror died out, a new face in horror known as Hammer horror in the late 1950s began its own long run of brilliantly done horror films. Frankenstein(1931) epiomizes what was good about Universal horror and the visionary minds behind these kinds of films.
Evolution of Frankenstein creation from novel to film is ever changing considering how different he is presented in each film about him. Actually he has gone from being presented as a misunderstood tragic hero(novel) to being depicted as a mindless monster(cinema). Adam(creation) is a sympathetic character who's full of emotions which he cannot express via lack of articulate voice. He is childlike in his behavior and manners who is frustrated by the lack of human love. In later films, Adam(creation) is shown as an evil monster which is not the way the author of the novel intended to portray him.
Frankenstein(1931) made Boris Karloff as a big horror icon. He is the actor that best personifies the tragic qualities of Adam(creation). Boris Karloff although does not have a speaking role expresses thoughts that speak in images which wouldn't have the same effect in words. When he was given a good role to work with, Boris Karloff was nothing less than superb. The Essence of the Frankenstein creation is given a complex form as a result of the excellent acting from Boris Karloff.
Henry Frankenstein creates Adam out of a quest to master the secrets of life and death. His goal is to equal or replace God by using science as a way of knowing how to make life out of scretch. Frankenstein's attempt to equal or replace God is the underlining theme of both the novel and film because it raises interesting notions on the continuous conflict between religion and science. In human history there has always been friction between religion and science and Frankenstein(1931) plays on this idea with moral intellegence. Attempt by Henry Frankenstein to equal or replace God is not entirely successful and ends with the creator shunning his creation because of imperfections.
Part of the Frankenstein story was inspired by the Golem legend. The Golem was a created man made out of clay who was to protect Jews from prosection in a foreign country. The Golem unfortuately was hard to control and had to be distroyed. The idea of a creation that the creator had trouble controlling must have been an intriguing idea for Mary Shelley when she began to write the novel. FRANKENSTEIN, the novel was done as a contest betweel Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron to who would do the best gothic story.
Frankenstein(1931) was made immortal in the hearts of filmgoers by the famous "Its alive" cries of Henry Frankenstein. The scene with little Maria did not sit well with censors at the time and was cut because it was deemed too scary for a portion of the audience. Eventually it was restored years later which is good since it depicts the misunderstood nature of Adam the best. Bela Lugosi was offered the role of the creation before Boris Karloff but turned it down. Frankenstein(1931) has aged well and continues to chill the spines of viewers whether at home or at a movie theater.