After reading the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it caused me to want to not only read the novel, but actually see the novel as a film. After watching two different versions of the film; one produced in 1994 by Kenneth Branagh and the other was produced in 1931 by Boris Karloff. These two films helped me to better understand the novel because I was able to see different interpretations of the story and analyze the interpretations.
In Karloff’s version of the film Frankenstein the protagonist, Victor, has more of a maniacal edge to him. The spark in Victor’s eyes gives him a crazed look, which reveals that he has great intentions and will go to any length to create the Creature. He even beats on the Creature’s body, trying to give him life. Compared to Branagh’s version of the film in which Victor’s desire and determination come across more in his knowledge of science, not his actions. Victor’s character in Karloff’s version accepts the creature with open arms at first, which a creator should do. He tries to teach it and help it to become a normal human. But in Branagh's version Victor quickly dismisses the Creature and pronounces him dead, as if he didn’t work for many months and cause a lot of stress for himself trying to create this being. He is more like Mary Shelley’s view of Victor.
In the novel Frankenstein and also Karloff’s version of the film, Victor uses a spark of electricity to bring the Creature to life which gives the Creature’s “birth” a more natural feel because Victor just uses a table and lightening to give life, he does not use any type of special of contraption which differs from Branagh’s version. Branagh’s Victor uses more superficial items to bring the Creature to life. His knack for making contraptions and knowing how to manipulate the eels makes up for his lacking of desire to really see the experiment fully through. Both characters extend the boundaries of science, but in two different ways.
The Creature’s isolation is a big part of the novel and the films. In Branagh’s version the Creature is exiled from the town and he ends up living in a cave. The Creature tries to connect to a blind man, but the character’s blindness helps to mask the Creature’s true identity. If the man wasn’t blind he probably would have dismissed the Creature just like the townspeople and Victor. The character was more isolated because not only did the townspeople not accept him, but even his own creator dismissed him. The Creature’s desire to be loved and showed attention caused him to kill and take blood because he was taking his anger towards Victor out on others. In Karloff’s version the Creature is shown attention by Victor in the beginning but after awhile he is dismissed also, but there is difference in the characters because Karloff’s Creature is accepted by this little girl, or does she only accept him because he is just someone to play with or does she really see him as a nice person. Usually little kids say t
he first thing that comes to mind and they don’t usually accept people who are different from them. So the Creature’s acceptance by the little girl is sort of symbolic. The Creature in Karloff’s version does not have the same type of connection and animosity as the other Creature. Karloff’s Creature does not kill to spite Victor, but because he does not know what else to do.
Both film versions of the film take parts of the novel and interpret them in different ways. But Branagh’s version was better not only because it was more recent and the props were better, but because the director used more parts of the novel to keep the connection strong.