Movie Analysis Essay on Frankenstein 1931 & 1973

Introduction

In the movie Frankenstein 1931 and Frankenstein 1973, the relationship between different characters and the creation and how those relationships changed is demonstrated. In the movie Frankenstein 1931, Henry Frankenstein and his assistant Fritz decides to create a human body which they collect from different sources such as fresh bodies in the cemetery. Henry's fiancee, Elizabeth has a strenuous relationship with him as he is much pre-occupied with the desire to create a human life which makes him take much time at an abandoned tower. On the other hand, in the movie Frankenstein 1973, Victor Frankenstein is engaged to Elizabeth, and he is fixated at restoring his drown brother's life, and he meets Henry Clerval who is knowledgeable about the restoration of dead matters back to life. It is evident that in the two movies, there is a flourishing relationship between the creation and the characters and it is not until the creation gets frightened by the flaming torch carried by Fritz that it begins to wreak havoc in the society (Britton 4). It should be noted that Dr. Frankestein succeeded in creating a perfect creation which he designates as his friend from a different country. However, when Victor decides to crush the deformed arm he discovered from the Clerval's laboratory, he realizes that by doing so, the creature is also affected (Shelley 36). Instructively, the relationship between Dr. Frankestein and the creator changed after it became apparent that the creature will cause harm in society.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

It should be noted that, in the movie Frankenstein 1931, Henry Frankenstein has a strong desire to form human life using the electrical devices he has created and he sends his assistant Fritz, a hunchback, to steal a brain from the school where his former medical professor, Dr. Waldman lectures. However, in the movie Frankenstein 1973, Victor Frankenstein, a medical doctor, gets upsets after his brother perishes after drowning in the water and it is what informs his decision to renounce God and join forces with the dark forces so that he could bring back his dead brother to life. The creature in Frankenstein 1931 is made from the criminal brain, that is after Fritz dropped the normal brain (Shelley 42). Despite the monstrous nature of this creature, at initial stages, it appears an innocent creation. It later morphed into a deadly creation after it got frightened and antagonized by Fritz using a flaming torch. However, the creation in Frankenstein 1973, is from the piecing together of bodies from the dead peasant laborers and the incorporation of Clerval's brain into the creation, that is, after h died from a heart attack before he completed his mission (Britton 7). In this movie, Victor introduces the creature into the elite London society as a friend from another country.

It is imperative to note that, both creations in the two movies came as a result of different reasons and they brought various effects to society. The creature in the Frankenstein 1931 was created purely out of the desire of Henry Frankenstein to form human life using electrical appliances. This creature resulted in the loss of the lives of many people such as Fritz, Dr. Waldman and the young farmer's daughter Maria. On the other hand, In the Frankenstein 1973, Victor Frankenstein was overwhelmed by the loss of his younger brother who drowned and decided to join devil to see if he could restore his brother's life (Shelley 38). The resulting creature killed Felix, Agatha's boyfriend and Agatha whom it had fallen in love with dies as she flees from the horrifying creature. In both movies, the creatures are treated with total disdain given their terrifying actions and effects in the society. When Maria's father arrives with her lifeless body, villagers form groups to search and capture the monstrous creature, and it is ultimately killed after the windmill is set ablaze by the irate mob (Britton 10).

Notably, the creation of the two creatures in the two movies depicts that something created in the society to serve the interest of the people making them may turn out to become a nuisance in the society. It is worth to note that the implications of starting something should be critically examined before starting it and this is shown by the change of the creatures where they killed many people in society. The characters in the two movies are reminiscent of the people in the society who do not take into consideration the potential effects their actions can bring to society (Britton 1). The grotesque creatures from both movies depict a society faced with various societal ills such as violence that brings devastating effects to the people. Moreover, the characters and the unfolding events in the two movies illustrate how the historical missteps of the people cause problems to the current generation. Furthermore, the events that unfolded after the creation of the monstrous creatures demonstrate that in most cases the actions of an individual can bring negative consequences in the society. Also, the growing of Mary Shelley's life in the science of electricity and medicine is represented in both movies where Henry Frankenstein uses his electrical devices to create human life and Victor using his knowledge in medicine to piece together the bodies of dead peasant laborers to restore human life (Shelley 35).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the characters and the creations in the two movies depict the growth technology in the science of electricity and medicine and how the resulting creations from them bring extreme effects in society. It is imperative to note that, the decision by Henry and Victor Frankenstein to create human life was not borne out of the desire to bring an impact in the society, but ultimately their creations brought misery in the society where many people, who had no connection with their desires, lost their lives. It should be understood that the societal problems often come from a few individuals but cause massive destruction to the society and it, therefore, it follows that precaution should always be taken before a particular activity is executed.

Works Cited

Britton, Ronald. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: what made the Monster monstrous?" Journal of Analytical Psychology 60.1 (2015): 1-11.

Shelley, Mary. "Frankenstein." Medicine and Literature, Volume Two. CRC Press, 2018. 35-52.