In 1931, when the film was released, America was in the midst of the Great Depression, and much of the American population was feeling its effects. It seems that the scene described above would have a certain resonance with the audiences of the time. When the creature is shown the light, a parallel can be drawn to the American population being shown a time of great prosperity, which America had been experiencing up until 1929. Then, with the collapse of the stoke market, all of that prosperity is taken away from them. In the film, when Henry is opening and closing the door, he’s out of the frame and says nothing. This gives the scene a sense of some unknown force giving and taking what the creature covets. Here again is a parallel. Most people, today and in 1930, are neither experts in economics or the markets. These two fields are not even physical, tangible absolutes. Both are simply theories designed to help maneuver and explain the flow and use of money. In that sense, an unknown force both gives and takes away the prosperity of the American people. The American people were left lost and saddened by the memory of what they once had in the same way the monster is when the light is taken from him.
Most religions have within them a creator, or god responsible for the creation of man. Most religions have, to some degree, a kind of paradise whereby man will be content and happy. In the reality of the world perfect, unadulterated content and happiness is nearly none existent for people to accomplish. Also, in the great question of “Why am I here?”, there is no creator to give people a definite answer. Even for people who do not believe in any religion, the same relationship can be seen in most people. Nature becomes their creator, and an idea of paradise, usually gained through society, is set as the pinnacle of their life’s endeavors. With the scene in Frankenstein, a similarity can be seen in the way creator acts on the created. When the unseen Henry opens the door and presents the light for the monster, it can be viewed as an unknown creator presenting an idea of paradise to an individual person, in the same way religions do. For the atheists of the world, it could very easily be compared to culture presenting an individual with an idea of what it means to be content and happy. For instance, within capitalism an individual knows that an endless amount money and things are what provide happiness and content. The individual, or Frankenstein, sees a version of paradise, or the light, and longingly reaches out for it. Then Henry, the unknown creator takes away paradise. For the people of religion this scene can be likened to being presented with such a perfect possibility of paradise only to be left in the squalor and struggle of reality. In the case of the atheist, they are left in the reality of debt and inflation whereby mass riches can never be attained. In the way described above, that particular scene illustrates perfectly humanities disillusionment with its own existence. Additionally, the rest of the creatures life can be seen, metaphorically, to be lived the way most of the world lives it’s life. The creature stumbles around, half confused about what it is doing and what is going on in the world around it. It makes mistakes (the girl), causes violence (Elizabeth), and get’s to enjoy some happiness (playing with the flowers). During all of this the creature is still trying to find its creator and paradise. What’s absolutely unique is that when the creature does find its creator all it wants to do is kill him. The creature wants to kill its creator because of its being brought into existence. If Whale intended, through the story, to represent man’s relationship with his creator, then he accomplished a well done and clever job of it.
So again, while there are a number of scenes within the film, this particular scene seems to be one of the more significant and well thought out scenes.
No comments:
Post a Comment