Mary Shellys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Mary Shellys Frankenstein seeThe director has made it clear to the audience that the film will be about life and death by having a statue of Jesus almost toppling over, next to a large figure of the grim reaper representing death. When Frankenstein is digging the grave up, he throws dirt over the statue, perhaps representing how he has no respect for death. The prop and costumes are utilise reflect the setting and atmosphere. Dr. Frankensteins clothes differ from the rest of the cast, wearing a cravat and uncontaminating shirt the director may have d matchless this to represent his higher status in society, compared to the mourners or Frankensteins hunch dressing assistant. In Branaghs film the costumes are all precise similar, they play no major bug out in the first four minutes studied. However they help to keep in with the mono burnish of the ice and pale faces. These bland colours create a stark and dramatic personal credit line to the agleam red blood which comes on screen when the monsters hand dramatically appears. The make up worn by the characters in Whales film is heavy, pronounced and truly theatrical designed so that people in the field of operation could see the faces from far away, but on camera it looks exaggerated and over the top.Branagh has used make-up subtly and realistically, creating red cheeks to show cold conditions alongside messy hair and unshaven faces to represent the length of succession since the characters have been near civilization. Whales theatrical past suggests why all the facial expressions and movements are prominent and exaggerated. Although Branagh excessively has a distinguished history in theatre, Whale was working in the beginnings of Hollywood when cinema was pictured much same(p) theatre on screen.In the first close ups of Fritz and Frankenstein they are both spacious which connotes stereotypical mad scientists and both characters creep around the graveyard with dramatic stage whispers. The facia l expressions and emotions in Branaghs Frankenstein are far less obvious and it is due to this fact that there is a lot to a bulkyer extent change in emotion over a short space of time. During a few minutes, the expressions of one character changed from fear, to pride, to concentration and then anger. This emotion change is slightly exaggerated to let the audience lock away and empathize with the characters.One way that Branagh lets the audience use their imagination is by his use of positioning at heart the frame. Most shots are actually closely cropped to the faces so that we can see expressions clearly. However, when the monster was killing the dogs, Branagh modishly clipped the shots so that the suspense could be continued and prolonged. This method of positioning is a big contrast to Whales. Most of the shots in his version are mid or long and there are very few point-of-view or close ups. This is partly due to the lack of technology and experience.Branagh may have used m ore adventurous and interesting angles but he has had 60 years of Hollywood to look back on Whale was at a huge disadvantage in this respect and this should of course be considered when deciding who is the better director. Whale did try and be adventurous in some respects he used an effective high angle shot towards the end of the four minutes, it showed Fritz and Frankenstein walking towards the gallows, which heightened the feeling of a change of setting, and it clearly showed the rocky landscape, which also increased the mind of fear.Whale has placed the characters so that they were very central within the frame. The camera sticks to the action and follows it, much like if one were watching a play, a method most probably influenced by Whales history in theatrical directing. Branaghs editing is a great deal faster than Whales so this gives him more scope to change the camera angles. However, the reason for this difference in speed could be down to the settings of the expositions, not effectiveness of directing.Branaghs film begins in a chaotic thrust with lots of action, whereas Whale tries to connote sense of fear and slow eeriness. Branagh tries to create an emotional impact and takes it for granted that the audience will understand and follow the action, whereas Whales style is more conventional and his editing is used for working purposes and to see the setting and to follow the action. As an audience in the 20 and 21st century, we are so used to the conventional shock tactics, that we fail to take into account their effect in older films, such as Whales Frankenstein.Although aspects of Whales production may seem dated to todays audience, theres an atmosphere present that would be hard to re-create, flat with technological advances. Kenneth Branaghs Frankenstein, for all its use of modern technology, lacks the atmospheric prove up that Whales seems to have. Whales film is more like the nineteenth century novel his style suits the slow unveiling of narrative, as in the book, whereas Branagh conveys a sense of action and fast moving suspense to satisfy the ever-demanding audience.The fast moving action means that Branagh has not had a chance to build up a sense of fear everything is over dramatized and with a very fast pace. Although Branagh has indeed created an atmospheric build up, using all the modern technology available, James Whales Frankenstein has stood the attempt of time and, although it was directed 63 years before Branaghs, has used the most effective techniques available to build up an atmosphere of tension and fear.If an audience of today find Whales directing more or equally effective than Branaghs then imagine how well it would have worked on audiences unaccustomed to this level of horror within a film. 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