Gods and Monsters: Bride of Frankenstein Reaction Paper

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STS-THY 7
BACONGUIS, Liana Isabelle T.
Bride of Frankenstein Reaction Paper

Gods and Monsters

The sequel to 1931’s Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein is considered to be one of the most loved of the classical horror films and for good reason – it’s aged quite well, bringing several now-cliché horror film conventions to the table while still remaining enjoyable. Despite its scientific basis (taking Galvani’s frog experiment and amping it up to lightning being able to bring something to life) being rendered baseless with the advancement of technology, it’s still a very entertaining piece.

At one point in the film, someone scorns the Monster’s existence, calling it what happens when its creator, Frankenstein, tried to “play God” – the implication being that humanity and science should not interfere with the natural goings-on of life. This is still a hotly-debated ethical issue eighty years’ worth of technological advancement later: whether or not GMOs should be mass-produced, whether cloning is morally acceptable, whether stem cells are ethical at all – the list goes on.

There is one scene that stands out – when Pretorius shows Frankenstein his collection of humans in small jars. Frankenstein is horrified, claiming that “this isn’t science!” The message this scene seems to send is that science, when used sanely, for good reason, and with sound moral judgment, is good – but science bordering on meddling and black magic is bad. With the Monster’s awesome declaration of “We belong dead,” the “we” referring not just to himself and his bride, but also to Pretorius, whose experiments are morally unprecedented, the film on the whole seems to lean towards the stance that Frankenstein’s monster is a representation of the failure that inevitably results from humans interfering in things they have no right to – and by extension, that science has its boundaries that it should not cross.

And yet Karloff still plays the monster more sympathetically than its book counterpart, the latter of which was much more intelligent and fearful. Keep in mind that by no means is the monster a good creature – he murders several people and is pointlessly cruel, but is taught proper, good emotions by a kindly old man –resulting in his desire to be loved and accepted strengthening. In the end, the Monster, accepting that he can never be loved, willingly blows himself, his bride, and Pretorius up so Elizabeth and Frankenstein can live happily together. Why – because Whale wanted the viewers to empathize with the creature. He wanted to show that even the basest form of sentient life, despite the questionable morality of its origins, can still learn love.