FRANKENSTEIN

REVIEW

THE QUESTION OF TEXT AND SUBTEXT

Films, like most narratives may have texts and subtexts. The test is the story line, while the subtext is the underlying meaning. Subtexts tend to be philosophical (and not little axioms like "It is better to be honest" - which is much more likely to be in the text than subtext!).

Subtext appears by analysis of the text and looking for ways in which the author (film maker) has coded the subtext. The process of "breaking" the code to get to the subtext is known as hermeneutics. This is often done through symbols in the film which may be universal (few), cultural (lots) or personal (some). The first two are generally understood by the members of the audience if they come from the same culture as the film maker. The last requires a number of examples of the symbol to appear with enough context that the viewer can finally decode it.

Symbols are generally technically defined as "Those things which stand for other things in an arbitrary manner. Hence a word like "dog" is a symbol for the animal (look at the word for dog on other languages to see how it varies) whereas the footprint of a dog is really connected with the animal and is not a symbol at all.

In Melville's Moby Dick the text is about the hunt for a white whale by a vengeful captain who lost his leg to the creature. In the end the whale destroys nearly everyone on the ship, except the narrator. A quick examination of the names of characters, Ahab, Ishmael etc. implies something religious. The harpooners are all pagans. When the three masted ship sinks, it resembles the crucification with the three harpooners in the masts - Queequeg in the center. It becomes quickly apparent that Queequeg whose coffin saves Ishmael, is a Christ figure and the subtext of the novel is religious and has little to do with whaling. The novel becomes a metaphor for the subtext.

Subtext generally are rather philosophical forays into one of five broad areas:

1. Philosophical-religious

deals with ethics and morality

2. Socio-political

Nature of power: class, gender, ethnicity, caste, etc.

3. Technical/Scientific

4. Psycho-sexual (generally Freudian)

5. Reflexivity

FRANKENSTEIN

The book, written in 1818 (2 years after her marriage to Percy Shelley) is by Mary Shelley. The book is called Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus

Who is Prometheus? Forethought – A Titan who brings fire to humans. As punishment he is chained to a rock and a vulture eats his liver out daily. At night it grows back. As a punishment humans are given Pandora a woman who is entrusted with a box which she opens letting out all the ills of the world.

Why is the book (and hence the film) film subtitled: “A modern Prometheus”?

The book was made into a play by 1823 and even the Grand Guignol did a version.

The first movie was made by Edison studios in 1910 with Charles Ogle playing the monster is a 16 minute version

There had, of course been earlier horror/monster films like The Golem, Nosferatu and a slew of film made by Lon Chaney

Universal studios which would become known for its horror films produced a set of horror films in the early ‘30’s which would later be duplicated in a very different style by the British company Hammer Films with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as the main protagonists. Universal cranked out Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932) , Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), and nearly 10 years later The Wolfman (1941)

This film from 1931 was made in 35 days (24 August to 3 October 1931) and was released Dec 4th 1931. It was budgeted at $262,007.00 and came in at $291,129.13

It made over $1,000.000 in its first domestic run (more than 2x that of Dracula) One of the great moneymakers for Universal – also an artistic triumph and made the NY Times 10 best and played at the first Venice film festival 1932

The film raise hackles all over and brought out the censors. Scene and lines were cut before the releases in different places. More on these after the film

There are some interesting things to note in the opening titles not the least of which is the fact the monster goes uncredited

Monster………?

This was done in the first stage production as well and Mary Shelley approved of the idea. PT Cooke played the monster. This is an indication about what actors should be used to play monsters. One problem in casting is whether to use a relatively unknown actor (as Karloff was) or use a “big name (as happened with DeNiro). Most feel that with big names the audience gets too involved with trying to find the star under the make-up. This rule certainly doesn’t hold with “monsters” like Hannibal Lechter who is not a heavy special effect make-up character.

Some name which will appear also are Carl Lammle, James Whale (who is the subject of the biopic Gods and Monsters), Colin Clive, and Dwight Frye and Jack Pierce about whom more will be said later in the term.

AFTER THE FILM

To start, the peculiar absence of an actor’s name for the monster is not the only odd thing about the film. The film has a rather odd “preface” in which Edward van Sloan who plays Dr. Waldman “braces” the audience for the film and explains something about it.

The subtext of films are often analyzed psychoanalytically, socio-politically by using semiotics and other theories of communication. How does that happen here?

To analyze the film, it is necessary to discover both the text and subtext. The text is basically “the plot” what happens on the screen. The subtext is what can be derived from looking at the way the film is constructed and “breaking” the code of the film

What kind of things are used to find meaning?

Photography

Proxemics

Hall’s theory that different distances have different cultural meanings. So with the camera – how close is it and what does that mean – close up, medium close up etc.

The distance between the camera and the subject affects composition. Fewer things can appear when camera is in closer.

Close-ups (can’t see what is nearby) – sudden appearance of something (shock)

Focuses on internal state of person.: faces of people during experiment, monster on entry

Focus attention: monster’s hands “questioning” when light is turn out. Feeling of “pathos” for monster so well established as crucial with Lon Chaney

Audience sees things people in the film don’t (monster’s eyes open and hand starts to move behind Doctor Waldman who is going to operate.)

Monster outside bedroom window and his entrance through the window that Elizabeth doesn’t see. This is also a function of DEPTH OF FIELD (in this case “deep focus”). Elizabeth is in the foreground and the monster is in the background, but can be seen clearly.

Delay tactics through editing . Want to see monster. Build up to first appearance. Towel over face removed, face still bandaged.

Can’t help but see the horror – close ups move in on monster on first entrance. “One comment He was saw terrifying you couldn’t look away”

Lighting

High contrast, Shadows, hard to see. Figures in film cast huge shadows. Sometimes the person isn’t visible, the shadow is or the shadow dominates the scene more than the person casting it.

Sets

Expressionistic. Stylized Great height, dark places

Shots

Shots at monsters and Frankenstein at monster’s first entrance through door mirror one another linking the two.

More shots mirroring Frankenstein and monster on hill near the end of the film

Shots linking Frankenstein and monster (e.g. in windmill through grinding apparatus.) have them in same positions linking them again

Matching shots of Elizabeth and monster – she screams he growls. Both are equated as rivals for Frankenstein.

Composition: groupings of people Elizabeth with Victor => Elizabeth with Henry

Visitors vs. Frankenstein

Dr. Waldman, Elizabeth and Victor (3 shot) and Frankenstein (1 shot)

Dr. Waldman, Elizabeth and Victor facing camera; Frankenstein has back to the camera

Shots in which people mirror one another lead to understanding of relations. Film has interesting triangles:

Victor/Henry/Elizabeth: both men in love with Elizabeth

Henry/Monster/Elizabeth: Monster and Elizabeth vie for Henry’s attention

Waldman/Henry/Monster: From Henry and Waldman comes the knowledge to create monster

Henry is the link between the three triangles

Filming the “eruption of the repressed”

Although this is one of the definitions people have used for horror there are certainly films where the repressed erupts which are not horror films. A classic example is Forbidden Planet with the “monsters from the id”. Yet Forbidden Planet is rarely if ever thought of as a horror film. Quatermass and the Pit also deals with this repression and the eruption of the repressed. This film however vacillates between horror and sci-fi or perhaps merges them as Alien does

Doctor Waldman fears monster will come through door after killing Fritz (eruption of the repressed). He does finally. Door left open to get him (face repressions to rid yourself of them) (compare with original The Thing from Another World), or King Kong forcing open the gates in King Kong.

Moving camera when enters town – twice – once we see peasants dancing and happy, next is when woodcutter brings in Maria’s body and atmosphere changes as he walks past the people who go from happy to shocked.

Editing

Sets pacing of film

Lengthens time to build tension by showing things happening simultaneously byt cross cutting. In effect a 10 second event lasts 20 seconds. This allows tension to build

Symbols and Semiotics:

In a sense much of what we have said has to do with a semiotic theory. Even something like a “close-up” shot can start to take on meaning.

Uprights in film: Crucifixes in graveyard, gibbet, fences, tall interiors, Gothic style, not only movements heavenward but phallic.

Directionality. Upward movement good – toward light, down to darkness. Fritz jumps down from gibbet (JIBBIT) comes down rope, down stairs in tower, Frankenstein and monster come down stairs

Frankenstein goes upstairs with “normal spectators” and up in mountain and windmill to try destroy the monster

Use of light and darkness for “good and evil”. Monster kept out of the light. Comes up to the light (light is up; darkness down) Compare “Let there be light” What is monster’s response to sunlight – reaches for the light (reaches for “good”)

Sound Off screen sounds – can’t be sure always what or where it is.

Fritz’ screams are heard from of screen

Bell (gong) sounds off screen when Fritz is stealing brain.

Music

The film has no “score”. The only music is diagetic – occurs during the festivals.

Sense of realism

Allows for silence as producer of tension. (scene where monster enters bedroom)

Relationship between horror and humor

Horror produces tension which needs to be broken sometimes or it becomes stultifying. Release is often in laughter Nervous laughter.

View of cadaver from soles of bare feet

Film often juxtaposes horror and comedy. Laughter when one of the doctors makes skeleton move by accident. Not so funny but shock when Fritz does it when stealing brain.

Analysis

Films can be analyzed in many ways: psychologically, politically, and semiotically (the study of signs. Signs and codes – hermeneutics. Sometimes films are analyzed by topics – for example gender, sexuality and so on which can be looked at psychologically, politically etc.

What does this film mean?

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Repression

Monster comes through door after killing Fritz

Monster comes through the window after Elizabeth

Gender and Sex

Sexuality:

Henry needs to marry doesn’t why?
Creates child of his own (no mother)
What does it mean to reproduce without sexuality or at least for a male without a woman?
What is the problem that causes Henry to avoid marriage?
What is the relevance of the marriage – Henry and Elizabeth – interference of monster? Eruption of the repressed.
Monster’s entrance into bedroom. Ultimate rape symbol? Sex and violence, sex out of control? (Compare similar situation in Dracula in his entrance into the bedroom through window,)

Is there more than a hint of homosexuality in the film? Between whom? Dr. Waldman and Frankenstein? Whose child is the monster? Does that part of Frankenstein have to be cleared out (both Dr. Waldman and monster have to be killed) before wedding with Elizabeth can happen (Consider too, Whale’s own sexuality)

What is the implication behind Frankenstein’s like to Victor when he says he has to kill the monster before he can be married “I leave her in your care? Understand? “ Does he mean if he can’t rid himself of his sexual problem, Victor should marry her.

Note: Despite the killings there is no blood shown, no dismemberment, Body is not yet the site of horror, Watch for later developments.

Confusion of monster with creator = Doppelganger ( made in his image?)

SOCIO POLITICAL

Importance of lineage:

“Here’s to a real son to the house of Frankenstein”

Discussions about orange blossoms and carnations worn at grandparents wedding, which are to be used at Henry and Elizabeth’s wedding (and hopefully, according to the Baron, at their son’s wedding)

Gender

Men more important. Elizabeth not very proactive. More reactive relates to political material about gender Even the author Mary Shelley is listed as Mrs. Percy B Shelly in credits.

Elizabeth locked in room by husband. No one seems to think this unreasonable. Also indicates compartmentalization of Frankenstein’s sexuality. Elizabeth and monster need to be kept apart. Real problem when monster enters her room.

Relationshp to "The Other" - some one or something which is not like you.

Monster kills Fritz who torments him; Dr. Waldman, who is going to kill him; the girl by accident. He is responding to how he is treated. People attack what they don’t understand

Even Frankenstein has problems with identity with monster: “You see IT understands” (said to Waldman when monster sits down)

“Leave IT alone Fritz” Later “He hated Fritz, he always tormented him” (Compare I, Robot, “You said “someone” not “something”)

Doctor is believer in biological determinism (brain is bad)

Frankenstein is not. (brain is tissue

Compare “sit down” line to Victor (forceful) , Elizabeth (gentle) and monster (gentle) l, Frankenstein has 2 sides

Upper class in power but Baron is rather dotty old fool

Burgomeister is disliked by him but is forced to show respect

Town is waiting for wedding all decorated.

Patriarchy:

Discussions of marriage in terms of “sons” not children or daughters. Line passes through the sons

Problems of women’s roles in film (Elizabeth only major female character, film is male dominated)

See discsssion above about lack of procreativity.

Film minimizes importance of women and indicates it is a problem. Even Mary Shelley is denied her own name.

University has many women faculty in the film. Lack of women is only in the Frankenstein group story.

Elizabeth locked in room - attacked

Film often shows triples and triangles in people. With three there is safety (family group - father, mother child (danger comes when one person is alone with "child/monster" - Fritz, Waldman and Maria are all killed when alone RELIGION

Innocents of children

Maria and Monster are children in several ways one is child of wood cutter, one of scientists (later version will say to biological son of Frankenstein that he and monster are brothers with same father but monster’s mother was the lightning)

Guileless Maria sees monster as equal – playmate as does the monster

Film parallels them in composition sitting face to face, kneeling together

The film opens with funeral and sounds of liturgical Latin (death =>life? Frankenstein wants to use dead to make body to create life in). God creates life from the ground – in a sense so does Frankenstein, but using dead bodies not the earth itself. Dust unto dust (and in the case back again)

Reversal of Christ story – child with no father

Monster = child with no mother.

Even audiences frequently refer to the monster as “Frankenstein”.

Creator and creation – what is relationship. In this case creator deserts creation. In effect God exists but is uninvolved. As a result the creature turns “evil” in that he does bad things although not out of malice. God is in a sense responsible for evil.

Implication that creation of being without proper sexuality is wrong. Perhaps in both cases.

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY

What is the relationship between science and religion? Does science have a set of moral and ethics outside of religion?

Film has some "deist" ideas discussed in "reflexivity below"

PSYCHO-SEXUAL

Henry is nervous when his father mentions his becoming a father - implies sexual activity between him and wife.

Creation of child alone (danger of one person with child)

Father suspects "another woman" but there isn't one. Henry is creating a child on his own.

Much phallic imagery in the film. - spike on fence, crosses, towers, etc.

REFLEXIVITY

Film is about creativity. The line “made with these hands” comes up several times. Several close up of hands (Henry’s when he says “with my own hands” Monster’s when he looks for explanation about why light is cut off.
The film is Whale ‘s creation
Some deist ideas - God creates people and then leaves them. Henry creates creature and then leaves it. What is the relationship between the creator and the creation? How does this relate to the artist as creator? Some trivia about the film

What about the film upset people that they demanded the cuts here: (Some of the censor’s demands may help get a grip on what was so upsetting about this film in 1931.)

(1) Line to be cut:

Victor: In the name of God

Frankenstein: In the name of God? - Now I know what it feels like to be God”

It was covered by a thunderclap and has been restored in the restored version

(2)Scenes to be cut:

Maria and the monster
Fritz hanging
Compare the 1910 version with the 1931 one. What points of similarity are there? How is the "creature's" behavior accounted for in each? How is the creature seen relative to Frankenstein in both films?