Author: Jorge Martinez

Frankenstein is arguably one of the most recognizable and famous monsters created. It’s been adapted in more than seventy films. Although the creature was not named Frankenstein, he adopted the name by popular culture and he was considered to be Frankenstein’s monster. Frankenstein, or, Modern Prometheus 1818 written Mary Shelly (1797-1851) is considered the first example of SF. It’s the first novel to demonstrate a choice between pre-scientific and scientific. The story follows a young scientist who learns how to give life to inanimate matter. The first Frankenstein film was in 1910 directed by J. Searle Dawley. Although it was the first one, it was not the popular one. James Whale’s 1931 Frankenstein had a big impact. This Frankenstein is the most known image of the monster in popular culture. From 1910 to the present time Frankenstein has been adapted in many films and cartoons. It gets you thinking how many times can this story be told. Hollywood loves to remake the same movie. So I compare and contrast Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel to 2015 film Victor Frankenstein.       

2015 Victor Frankenstein was directed by Paul McGuigan, written by Max Landis. The story is being told from Igor’s perspective. Victor’s assistant. Victor befriended Igor when he helped him save an aerialist. Igor impressed Victor with his knowledge of human anatomy. This is when Victor helps Igor’s posture and recruits him on his experiments of giving life to inanimate matter. Igor will help Victor’s experiment by performing the surgical parts. Victor will use parts from dead animals. The creature was named Gordon. This experiment will get Victor and Igor in trouble with the authorities. Gordon will escape and create a disaster in the university, ultimately being killed by Victor and Igor. Victor will get expelled from college. Being expelled Victor draws attention to a wealthy classmate Finnegan. Impressed by Victor’s experiment, Finnegan wants Victor to create another creature. This led Igor and Victor to create Prometheus. Finnegan will fund the build of Prometheus. While Igor and Victor are having a falling out, Victor departs solo to work on Prometheus and Igor learns Finnegan’s evil intentions with the creature and Victor. Igor will go and try to save Victor. The Prometheus experiment turned horrible. Prometheus had no awareness. It could not talk. Prometheus becomes enraged and starts killing, almost killing Victor. Victor will join forces with Igor and kill Prometheus. This film has a nice twist from Mary Shelly’s novel. One thing that’s different is that Victor does two different experiments. In the novel Victor does only one experiment. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, or, Modern Prometheus 1818 tells the story of a young scientist Victor Frankenstein. Who turned away from pseudoscience and alchemy and pursued the science of chemistry and galvanism to learn how to give life to inanimate matter. One noticeable thing in the film that is different from the novel is that Victor has Igor. Igor plays the role of Victor’s assistant. Helping Victor with his experiments. In the novel Victor was working on his experiments by himself. He will go and dig up dead bodies for parts and bring them back to his lab and start experimenting. In the film, Victor employs help from Igor. They write Victor as someone who won’t have all the answers to everything. Unlike in the novel, Victor is in college and chooses to learn about chemistry and galvanism. And does the experiment on his own just by the stuff he learned and continues to learn during the creation. Whereas in the film Igor is written as someone to help Victor. Giving his knowledge on human anatomy. Victor uses someone with more knowledge in a subject that he might not know much about. “Impossible without you” Victor says to Igor in the movie when show Igor the first experiment. Victor sees Igor as a gift, without his help he wouldn’t have been successful in his experiments.   

With Frankenstein having a bunch of movies made, there are going to have some similarities to Mary Shelley’s novel. One similar aspect from this movie and Shelley’s novel is the story is being told in a person’s perspective. In the novel, it starts off with Walton’s perspective. The letters in the beginning of the novel with his sister. Then he encounters Victor, where Victor tells his story to Walton. So now it shifts to Victor’s perspective. Victor also tells Walton the creature’s perspective on what the creature has experienced. And at the end of the novel the creature talks to Walton directly. The creature laments to Walton about Victor (Ellis, Lecture 3). Although in the novel there’s three perspectives, the film is being told from Igor’s perspective. Trapped in the circus’ owner, Victor helped Igor escape. When watching the movie you see the progression of Igor, from being a nameless hunchback to being Victor’s partner to finding love. Another similar thing the film takes from the novel is the death of someone close to Victor, motivates Victor to do his experiment and studies. In the novel, when his mother dies “Victor buries himself in his experiments to deal with the grief” (Page 3). After his mother’s death, he focused on his studies of creating life for non-living matter. In the movie it’s a similar situation where he feels responsible for killing his brother. Now he wants to create life. This film takes from the book and puts a unique twist so it could stand out from the rest of Frankenstein movies already made. 

Movies with stories adapted from novels can be nice if done right and stay true to the novel, while having a twist and uniqueness for other films. The film I watched to compare was the 2015 film Victor Frankenstein. I liked the movie. Although it did not do too well in the box office. I enjoy watching it. It was a fast-paced, action-packed movie. This is more of Igor’s story. Being a Frankenstein film based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel  Frankenstein, or, Modern Prometheus. The movie is telling Frankenstein’s story through the experience of Igor’s time with Victor. Overall this film is good. It has similar points from the novel. But if you want to see Frankenstein being told differently from the novel this is the film. It’s taking a familiar story and twisting it around. It’s showing the audience a different side of Victor. It’s also introducing new characters and showing their relationship with Victor Frankenstein.     

Work Cited

Ellis, Jason. “Lecture 3”. Online Lecture: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOhlopoIv7I&t=1938s

Wikipedia contributors. “Victor Frankenstein (Film).” Wikipedia, 24 May 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Frankenstein_(film) 

Frankenstein.  www.educational.rai.it/materiali/file_lezioni/97502_637226318879101464.pdf

Victor Frankenstein. Directed by Paul McGuigan. 20th Century Studios, TSG Entertainment, Davis Entertainment. 2015.