Well, hope all of you enjoyed the first class lecture and screening of "Frankenstein", the 1910 version. In case you missed class, you can get the notes on the lecture from a classmate and you can watch the film from here on the blog.
Things to give some thought on this one and perhaps good fodder for a research paper: Why does the film seem to exude a message of morality? What is the historical significance of the "morality play" format, ie. how does it fit into the ideas of a turn-of-the-century changing America? What fears were present that caused this?
From a content perspective: In the film the Monster finally gives in to the fact that he cannot replace the love of Frankenstein's life. With arms outstretched in dramatic posturing, the poor Monster vanishes from our reality and only his reflection is left in the mirror. The Doctor comes in, sees the Monster in the mirror and then the image suddenly changes to the Doctor himself. Give some thought to what this sequence means, and what is it's message do you think?
What did each of you think about the sequence that depicted the creation of the Monster in Frankenstein's lab? How about the Monster in general? Pretty strange looking Frankenstein Monster, eh? This scene along with the mirror sequence is an example of playing tricks with the camera: Something early film-makers really enjoyed using on an audience. These sorts of things were the "special effects" of their day.
Friday, September 4, 2009
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For one I totally liked that mirror scene. Even though it was simple, it really made the whole scene seem a lot more interesting, rather than just a one point of perspective to look at. When the Monster's reflection remained in the mirror and Frank is looking at it, I took it kind of like a metaphor. Since it was a "moral to the story" film, I took it as: we're all human, and everyone has this monsterous side to them no matter how normal they may seem. I guess that sounds cliche, but that's what I got from it. :)
ReplyDeleteThat Monster was totally creepy too. For me it was very awkward to watch him. I guess I mean he just seemed so legit, and not over gorified (if that's even a word). He was just a creepy and clumsy creature that didn't seem too fictional, in which could maybe could really be out there somewhere. haha... But yeah, his costume was convincing.
Those special effects were also simple but clever. It showed that they were really working with what they had.
The scene where the Monster appears to Frankenstein over his bed chamber by peering through the hole in the curtains/wall. That scene is very much Symbolist in nature, and can be found in many classic works of art such as Fuseli's "The Nightmare" and "The Incubus".
ReplyDeleteYou're right too; the Monster's appearance is very odd and unsettling. In particular if one looks forward from this film to what became the idea of the Monster visually because of the classic Jack Pierce make-up job in the Karloff version.
Personally, everything felt too nice and neat in the end. I felt badly for the monster, Frankenstein was the one who messed up, the monster had no control over his creation and yet he was the "darkness" lurking inside his creator? What about the monster made him evil? From my perspective, an even greater evil was Frankenstein ignoring his responsibilities as creator as he conveniently made his mess disappear with no regards to the "life" that was being snuffed out. And he was still rewarded with the girl in the end? Kind of a twisted moral if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I found an interesting starting point for Japanese silent films with, there are a few for sale on Amazon.
http://www.matsudafilm.com/index_e.html
This was also an interesting interview with a formal benshi with a lot of great info.
http://www.midnighteye.com/features/silentfilm_pt2.shtml
Great research on the benshi! Nice work! I ran across that interview, BUT I sure didn't know I could find a few on amazon. May have to snag a few of those!
ReplyDeleteI thought the monsters just looks like a big goofy floppy fluffy muppet... (which i'm not knocking). However, the bedroom scene where he peaks through the curtain freeeeaks me out! Is there something going on with bed imagery? Totally creepy. You said that Frankenstein went off to college and did "things" possibly sexual in nature? Does that tie into the moral of the film. Obviously the girl is part of that but I just wondered...
ReplyDeleteAlso, the vat scene: very groovy. I have seen this film before your class and wondered how they did that. I though it looked as if he was on fire but it never clicked that they just reversed it.
Another scene I though was interesting was when the monster sees Frankenstein's fiance for the first time. The single angle stagey set was there but, they had part of it shown in the mirror and part on the other side of the room...
There seems to be a lot of mirror imagery in this film. And the fact that they have the monster's reflection turning into the doctor's makes me wonder if it was all in his head. You know?
Well, I wasn't indicating "sexual" in nature was for certain...my intentions were to show that the fact he went "off to college" to explore the "unknown" COULD indicate something along those lines, given that the moral climate surrounding Edison's (and others, of course)film efforts. Click on the "Excellent Essay on Edison's "Frankenstein" entry. That one goes more in depth on the facts surrounding these productions.
ReplyDelete