Similarities Between Frankenstein And Whale's '

When people die, many don’t plan to see them again on this earth because, well, they’re dead. However, Mary Shelley, in her novel Frankenstein, writes about how scientist Victor Frankenstein is able to restore life to a lifeless body. He does so by “infus[ing] a spark of being into the lifeless thing…” (pg. 34-35) and allowing it to come to life. However, Victor immediately realizes the reality of what he has done and “…the beauty of [his] dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart,” causing Victor so much horror that he “…rushed out of the room…” without hesitation (Shelley 35). Interpretations of this scene have been adapted in both in 1994 by Kenneth Branagh and in 1931 by James Whale. Both directors use camera …show more content…
Whale uses a low angle frame to produce suspense as the creature’s body rises toward the outside because the audience is not completely sure what is going to happen next. Additionally, this technique shows the creature as a victim of Frankenstein’s scientific experiments because he is helpless as he rises towards his stormy future. Similarly, Whale uses a high angle frame to show the body lowering after it was in a storm. By using this technique, he is generating suspense because the audience cannot yet tell if the creature is alive or not and this adds to their uncertainty of what will happen next. Another factor that Whale tries to create is Frankenstein’s use of a ‘spark’ to awaken the lifeless being. Whale, combined with Shelley describing “the rain patter[ing],” interprets this spark, mainly, as a storm (35). Utilizing high-key lighting, Whale shows the flashes from the storm that help bring the creature to life. This version is much more mechanical and unnatural when compared to Branagh’s. By emphasizing this dark storm, Branagh further foreshadows the creature’s dark