... as this is very definitely NOT Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
It's a very well done movie, but it is nowhere near Shelley's novel. The ideas behind Shelley's Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein trying to make a man without reckoning on the power of the soul and on Victor's irresponsibility towards his creature once he/it comes out well proportioned as he intended, but has milky eyes and his veins showing through his skin, thus looking definitely not human and horrifying to the human eye. Left to his own designs the creature truly becomes a monster over time from rejection by human beings and his creator.
This film is not about the power of the soul at all. Instead, the two lessons seem to be 1. If you are collaborating with somebody who dies suddenly while writing in his scientific notebook mid sentence, make VERY SURE you just don't finish his sentences for him and take bold steps because of those assumptions. 2. Forget that soul business. The important thing is to be a handsome devil of a creation! (Michael Sarrazin).
The really weird parts about this film - What IS James Mason doing in this production as Dr. Poldari? He seems to be here as a kind of equivalent to Eric Thesiger's more accomplished mad scientist in "Bride of Frankenstein". And he works with acid and he is always wearing this mysterious glove. Before Michael Jackson made that fashionable. Hmmm.
Michael Sarrazin was not just a pretty face - here he is very poignant as the creature. Jane Seymour at 22 shows just what a beautiful woman she was in her youth - perfection. Well, done with a star studded cast of old Hollywood, especially in the supporting roles, I'd say it's worth seeking out especially if you can find the original version that was shown over two nights in two hour segments each, but that was with commercials. It really was a special presentation in spite of the lack of truth in advertising.
It's a very well done movie, but it is nowhere near Shelley's novel. The ideas behind Shelley's Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein trying to make a man without reckoning on the power of the soul and on Victor's irresponsibility towards his creature once he/it comes out well proportioned as he intended, but has milky eyes and his veins showing through his skin, thus looking definitely not human and horrifying to the human eye. Left to his own designs the creature truly becomes a monster over time from rejection by human beings and his creator.
This film is not about the power of the soul at all. Instead, the two lessons seem to be 1. If you are collaborating with somebody who dies suddenly while writing in his scientific notebook mid sentence, make VERY SURE you just don't finish his sentences for him and take bold steps because of those assumptions. 2. Forget that soul business. The important thing is to be a handsome devil of a creation! (Michael Sarrazin).
The really weird parts about this film - What IS James Mason doing in this production as Dr. Poldari? He seems to be here as a kind of equivalent to Eric Thesiger's more accomplished mad scientist in "Bride of Frankenstein". And he works with acid and he is always wearing this mysterious glove. Before Michael Jackson made that fashionable. Hmmm.
Michael Sarrazin was not just a pretty face - here he is very poignant as the creature. Jane Seymour at 22 shows just what a beautiful woman she was in her youth - perfection. Well, done with a star studded cast of old Hollywood, especially in the supporting roles, I'd say it's worth seeking out especially if you can find the original version that was shown over two nights in two hour segments each, but that was with commercials. It really was a special presentation in spite of the lack of truth in advertising.