Move over, classic Frankenstein films with their flat-headed, bolt-necked monsters in clunky boots.
Guillermo del Toro’s new take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein reveals a tender, misunderstood creature longing for love and wisdom, yet facing hostility. “Many visual interpretations depict the creature as if it were a tragic accident victim, but I wanted elegance,” del Toro explained before his film debuted at the Venice Film Festival.
Del Toro crafts his narrative from his own script, featuring Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) as a conceited scientist who constructs a creature from various body parts, bringing to life an indestructible yet kind-hearted giant (Jacob Elordi).
The film critiques the reckless use of modern technology. However, del Toro, whose film The Shape of Water won top honors at Venice in 2017, noted that AI wasn’t on his mind during the scriptwriting process.
“I don’t fear artificial intelligence. I fear natural stupidity, which is far more prevalent,” he said. “We live in a world of fear and threat. The answer, which art contributes to, is love.”
Unlike many filmmakers, del Toro avoided using heavy computer-generated effects, opting instead for lavish, tangible sets for actors like Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, and Felix Kammerer.
“When actors are in a real lab with real windows, real height, and real giant batteries, they interact genuinely with each other,” he noted.
“CGI is for losers,” Waltz said, prompting laughter.
‘Broken Heart’
Del Toro, renowned for his fusion of fantasy and horror in films like Pan’s Labyrinth, has been fascinated by Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel since childhood and aspired to create his own cinematic version.
“I didn’t want you to feel as if you were watching a classic treated with reverence, but rather with urgency and vitality,” he said of his humane rendition of the horror tale, where the scientist emerges as the true villain.
“How does one cope with a broken heart, and what actions does it lead to? Often, cruelty stems from broken hearts,” Isaac remarked about his role. The film is one of three Netflix features at Venice, alongside Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite and Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly.
It will have a limited cinema release in October before landing on Netflix in November.
Del Toro expressed a desire for a broad cinema audience but is thrilled with Netflix’s vast reach.
“Look at me, I’m always up for more,” the jovial director quipped, adding, “The storytelling battle is on two fronts: screen size and, importantly, idea size.”
Frankenstein is among 21 films vying for the prestigious Golden Lion award, to be announced on September 6.
