Frankenstein (2015)
Starring Xavier Samuel, Carrie-Anne Moss, Danny Huston, Tony Todd
Directed by Bernard Rose
Mary Shelley’s classic novel gets a modern makeover by way of 3D printer in Bernard Rose’s take on Frankenstein. The Loved Ones‘ Xavier Samuel stars as Adam, the monster born from the medical experimentation of Dr. Frankenstein (Huston), his wife (Moss) and their assistant.
Awakening in a white, sterile lab, Adam – possessing the body of a man but the mind of an infant – is a beautiful representation of the human form. He immediately attaches to Mrs. Frankenstein as his mother, seeking in her the childlike solace, nurture and nourishment that he needs.
She too is besotted with their creation, until tests reveal that Adam is suffering from rapid, uncontrolled cell growth – gifting him the power of quick healing and regeneration, but riddling his body with all manner of deforming tumours. When a botched attempt at euthanasia by lethal injection sees Adam awaken in the mortuary and gruesomely dispatch the coroners, his bid for freedom sends him out into the streets of modern Los Angeles, where he must try to make sense of the cruel world around him – with naturally tragic consequences.
Taking place entirely from the perspective of the monster himself, Bernard Rose’s Frankenstein is a beautiful and brutal adaptation of its source material, rendered incredibly relevant (or, perhaps, pointing out how timelessly relevant Shelley’s story is) for the audiences of today. In sticking more closely to the source than the classic James Whale approach, Rose manages to add another layer of freshness to his presentation – and a deeper layer of sympathy for a despondent creature who is still trying to learn, unguided, the difference between right and wrong.
There’s never a sense that Samuel’s monster has anything but positive intentions; yet, circumstances continually place him in a state of heightened threat, his increasingly repellent physical appearance putting him immediately on a sub-human level amidst the LA crowds. It’s heartbreaking to watch – cruelty upon cruelty heaped upon a forlorn soul who ultimately wants nothing more than to be loved, to belong. And when his violent response to a most grievous wrong committed against him results in immediate mob justice, Frankenstein forces both a lump in the throat and anger in the soul.
Genre veteran Tony Todd makes an appearance as blind blues singer Eddie, who immediately takes the vagrant Adam under his wing – a solitary figure of friendship amidst the harsh LA streets. Todd is perfectly cast, laying out a fine performance that stands among the best of his esteemed career – though it would have been nice to see more of him. Performances elsewhere are excellent across the board, especially Carrie-Ann Moss’ turn as the conflicted Mrs. Frankenstein, and Danny Huston proves his usual noteworthy self. Front and centre, though, is Xavier Samuel, who carries the film with an incredibly weighty sense of tragedy – a mixture of vulnerability, confusion and unbridled rage that floods from his every expression.
Melodramatic at turns, Bernard Rose’s Frankenstein is nonetheless a remarkably affecting piece of filmmaking sporting some wince-inducing gore and extreme violence. Scenes are held together via passages narrated by the monster himself, speaking eloquently and deeply about his and the human condition – but it doesn’t quite fit with the character that we’re watching and his narrative trajectory, especially given the film’s ending.
We already know that Adam’s trial can’t end well, but the key to Rose’s tale is that we, as the audience, can’t help but hold out hope that it will – that perhaps after all this time humanity would have learned to treat the unfortunate with compassion rather than distrust and disgust.
Highly intelligent and deeply wounding, Frankenstein stands as a stark reminder that in these so-called enlightened times, we still haven’t made it that far.
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Film
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