Frankenstein Vs Film Essay

Frankenstein, an enthralling novel by Mary Shelly, is a clever collaboration of some of the most pressing themes in literature. Almost every person knows the story through the equally riveting Hollywood renditions of the popular tale. However, the story is sensationalized from the novel to portray a mad professor who creates a rampaging monster, as opposed to an ordinary man so preoccupied with scientific advances that he does not think about the consequences of his actions. This exaggeration is a tribute to America’s movie industry, whose success rate thrives on its ability to capitalize on popular stories that the general public has always associated with. Within the last 100 years, Hollywood has created more than 20 adaptations of the well-known science-fiction story (www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Pop/filmlist.html). The many editions of this particular
renowned story can be credited to the economics of the media, the transition of time, and advances in technology. While Hollywood is an established entertainment source, it is also a large business. One of its main focuses has been to expand and profit from the re-creation of a well-established classic. There are many ways they achieved their goals. For instance, the release of many Frankenstein movies are known to have happened very near October 31st, better known as Halloween, the day of “monsters and magic” (http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&q=frankenstein+theatre+release+date+1931&meta=&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=7c2ad2e84493b017). Thus, people began to associate the character of the monster with the popular idea of Halloween, the day of “monsters”. Producers and distributors took advantage of this connection, and made a profit from selling merchandise from the movie. Up to this day, the market makes a huge income just from the sale of items associated with magic, monsters and horror (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Scary+season+lasts+all+year+for+Halloween+entrepreneurs-a0123636974). Therefore, the arrangement was staged in such a way that the producers of the film would be able to cash in on more than just the movie. In this way, media managers have achieved the creation of an additional market related to the film business. By re-adapting a pre-existing screenplay to revive its public appeal to the current generation, they manage to rekindle interest in a tale. This also means rejuvenated interest in the related merchandise, which is a main reason for the many adaptations of popular stories. Time is another such factor that makes media so successful. With the advancement of time, the “main characters” in the media business have become experts in rejuvenating old stories and tailoring them to fit the most recent requirements of society. For example, take Roald Dahl’s iconic story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. From the perfectly charming screen play of 1971, it was modernized and brought back to theatres in 2005. The earlier version of the story had more of an emphasis on Willy Wonka’s attachment to his extraordinary factory, and for children. The newer interpretation focused more on a child’s wildest fantasy of an extraordinary, bizarre chocolate factory. The distinction makes it obvious that the more recent film was made for the entertainment of children, whereas the older version was more for family enjoyment. Similarly, the Frankenstein movies of 1931 and 1994 are very different. In the earlier version, Victor is a Henry; there is no Henry Clerval; Frankenstein’s assistant Fritz; the monster kills an unknown little girl as rather than Frankenstein’s family; and the chase between Frankenstein and the monster is not prolonged or brutal. The differences show that in the earlier time period, audiences did not particularly enjoy violence and aggravated death, and it was therefore omitted from the movie, whereas later, there was more emphasis on science-fiction, romance, and exciting chase scenes. This shows the shift in society’s attitude and acceptance towards topics such as violence, romance, and scientific evolution. As this swing in attitude continues, society will demand for the newer versions of the story, but suited to their changing requirements. A largely important aspect affecting the many adaptations of Frankenstein, and movies in general, is the continuous expansion of technology.
Digital media has revolutionized into an escalating commercial business, with competition between media tycoons to be the first producers of a film with the latest technology. With the advance and formation of newer equipment, stories have been reformatted to include the more novel, astounding special effects. With the movie Frankenstein itself; when it first came out in 1910, it was a mute, black-and-white phenomenon. 21 years later, voice technology was the reason for Frankenstein to resurface. Yet again, in 1994, once high-quality colour films and famous actors could be used, the movie was once again “revived.” One common thing, however, is the difference between all the screenplays of the movies. With the arrival of new gadgets in the media industry, the focus has digressed from the story of the movie to the special effects. Soon enough, with all the recent discoveries and developments, we may lose the significance of the lifeline of a film – the
story. An analogy that comes to mind is that of a child. Over time, a child develops in many different ways – physical growth, mental outlook, and emotional maturity. Through this, the child’s personality is subject to many changes, but all these alterations will not change his core – who he is inside. Similarly, there are layers that may be added to a story – economics that influence its film productions, its history through time, and the applications of the story with evolving media. Although the story has been subject to many alterations, they will have no bearing on its core – the wonderfully inventive tale by Mary Shelly.