Hollywood has played a big part is our lives. Growing up we’ve seen numerous movies, some that scared us others that touch us, and those images stayed with us forever. So what happens when Hollywood takes a classic piece of literature such as Frankenstein and turns into a monster movie. It transforms the story so much that now some 50 years later, people think of Frankenstein as the monster instead of the monster’s creator.
It became a classic monster movie and all the high values of the original were forever lost. Hollywood has managed to reeducate the world of the timeless and classic literature by altering the story to the point beyond recognition. Starting back with 1931 Frankenstein, where producers took a simple strategy and altered the theme of the story in a way they thought audiences would enjoy more. An ambitious man of science that tries to play a god by creating a man of his own vision.
The sequel followed in 1935 named The Bride of Frankenstein, which took off even farther form the original novel by introducing audiences to the author Mary Shelly, and her husband Percy. In the original text Victor Frankenstein, whose name in the movie was changed to Henry, was never guilty of abusing technology to become god. He tired to revive life, in which he party succeeded. From the speech in his deathbed, Victor tells Walton that his intentions were only to help life, and he hoped that others would succeed where he has failed.
Hollywood has disregarded this crucial part of the story and turned Victor into a mad scientist. Other versions of the film followed, one even explained monster being evil because Victor puts a crazy brain into him. Some critics argue that American audience just can’t comprehend intellectual complicity and they would just rather see a classic horror movie, then put some thought into one. Besides altering Victor, Hollywood altered the monster as well, making him seem even more wicked and horrific.
As opposed to the original text where Shelly sympathizes with the monster, by letting us know his side of the story and how it was for him to grow up alone, and to be rejected by the society. Victor’s creation was alone and his misery and anger grew stronger by the day, at which point he starts to kill those close to Victor in order to get his revenge on the heartless creator that abandoned him. What people do not see in the movies is the true moral theme of the novel. It not about a mad scientist that tried to play god, but it’s about a father who abandoned his son because of his horrific looks.
Victor failed in his duty as a father to look beyond the wickedness of his creature, and discover a true person inside of him. If Victor stayed true to his creation he could have exposed him the to world and make people understand his good side, and get over his ugliness. His failure led the creature to be rejected by others, and ultimately led to Victor’s life long misery. The most misunderstood point of the novel is the first line of the preface text, where Shelly mentions Dr. Darwin.
Many people think of Charles Darwin but actually during the time the book was written, Charles Darwin was only around ten years old. In her book Marry refers to Erasmus Darwin, Charles’s grandfather. Only later on did Charles Darwin become famous for his writings about human nature. This is one of the biggest low downs of Hollywood in my opinion. Classics works of literature such as Frankenstein should be kept true to its roots, and if anyone is wiling to make a movie, then make it so it shows Merry Shelly’s true vision.
I will admit that I was one of the souls which before reading the book always thought of Frankenstein as of a monster, and more of a childish horror story, then a strong and powerful novel that deals with very heart and soul of human nature. It is one of the best novels I have ever read, and if we can’t preserve the roots of this amazing story, its message will be left untold to many generations to come, and some unfortunate soul might become a real life example of Victor Frankenstein.
