Review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) by Jason H — 28 Feb 2010
Did Kenneth Branagh create the most faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein? Yes. Did he also create a boring, melodramatic, overstuffed mess? Unfortunately, yes. By sticking strictly to Shelley's text, the movie tries to squeeze in too much material, which sacrifices a proper exploration of the themes.
Film, being a different and more abbreviated medium than literature, requires a different approach, one that discriminates and focuses on the elements most intriguing to the artists. It's as though Branagh doesn't trust film, preferring to rely on the text alone and treating adaptation as a sin rather than the wonderful direction it can be in cinema.
The weaknesses extend beyond this, however, as incredibly talented actors turn in surprisingly poor performances: Branagh thinks he's on a stage, DeNiro is laughable, and Cleese's fake teeth belong in a Monty Python sketch.
Not all is lost - the second half in particular has some thoughtful moments - but the production is overshadowed by the heavy hand of its gothic source and Branaghâ??s steadfastness.
This review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) was written by Jason H on 28 Feb 2010.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has generally received mixed reviews.
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