Sunday, February 06, 2005
Frank's Films
For some reason, when our college taught us Frankenstein, they decided to order the edition that contains eight pages of movie photos from the Kevin Branagh version of the film. As I just took my second tour through that book for my Romantic literature class, and admittedly lingered longer than one should on the slick eight pages of archival movie pictures inserted precisely halfway through my volume, I'd like to honor some of the movie adaptations of the classic novel.
As I looked at the pictures from the Branagh version, I was most disappointed by the monster (Robert DeNiro!). Just not how I pictured him at all. In lieu of actually watching the other movies, though, these pictures do provide brilliant windows into how directors in the past have chosen to visually represent the creature (even if it's hard to tell, sometimes, what part of the book is depicted). Take this picture, for example, where the Hunchback of Notre Dame offers a poorly-roasted marshmallow to Frankenstein's monster, who's reclining after a visit from John Barleycorn. Moviemaking magic.
As I looked at the pictures from the Branagh version, I was most disappointed by the monster (Robert DeNiro!). Just not how I pictured him at all. In lieu of actually watching the other movies, though, these pictures do provide brilliant windows into how directors in the past have chosen to visually represent the creature (even if it's hard to tell, sometimes, what part of the book is depicted). Take this picture, for example, where the Hunchback of Notre Dame offers a poorly-roasted marshmallow to Frankenstein's monster, who's reclining after a visit from John Barleycorn. Moviemaking magic.
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