Sterilized Eden: The Falsity of Science in Frankenstein

Opening with a warning that informs the viewer of the themes of life and death, a horror hype man (as I eloquently deemed him in my notes) warns the viewer to anticipate the thrills, shock, and horror of the story that will unfold. While the film uses horror elements, many of which are borrowed from German Expressionism, I view a study of human behavior that dissects the nature vs. nurture debate while imposing an argument supporting tradition over modernity.

The correlation between death and modernity is prevalent throughout the film. Skulls and skeletons are placed within the sterile environments where science is discussed and enacted. The large, distorted shadow of the skeleton claims the space of a classroom after a lecture takes place. Death is looming in the growing shadows. The air is still and solemn. No music is heard—only the sound of shuffling bodies and the ominous cracks of thunder are heard in such settings. The places of science are cold and uninviting. They serve as a reminder of a bleak future. Moments before Dr. Waldman tries to operate on the monster, a high angle shot of a tray covered in neatly organized scalpels and assortments of other surgical tools transforms into a chaotic mess as the doctor grabbing the scalpels dishevels the once neat tray, symbolizing the destruction of natural order. The damage has already been done—the sciences have meddled in what should have remained untouched. Worland claims the rope symbolizes the thread between life and death. However, I view it as an umbilical cord connecting the monster to his birthplace: the laboratory. He’s bound to being viewed as the unnatural in a natural world, fated to be alienated by a society that values tradition.

The ornamental rooms of the Frankenstein manor and the bustling village are lush and flourishing with life. Fertile flowers are used as decoration, given as gifts, and are plentiful for Henry and Elizabeth’s wedding ceremony. Worland explains the flowers are presented as one of the film’s motifs due to their symbolic significance for fertility and femininity while also indicating tradition due to the significance of their presence for social rituals. Unlike the sterile environments reserved for science, the settings where traditions are celebrated emanate warmth and remain inviting. The village is the only space where diegetic music can be heard as the villagers anticipate the pending nuptials between Henry and Elizabeth. The juxtaposition between the sterile environment of the sciences and the fertile environment of tradition echoes Mary Shelley’s romantic sentiments.

The monster’s criminal brain is labeled as abnormal. Once Dr. Waldman discovers the brain used to bring the monster to life was that of a criminal, he warns Henry that the monster is evil. This moment of dialogue is perplexing, given that the concept of evil maintains religious roots. Was the monster’s fate sealed before he had an opportunity to learn of right and wrong? Compared to the monster in the novel, the film’s monster is infantilized. He toddles and is incapable of speaking. Worland takes note of what he considers the most poetic moment of the film, a scene in which the monster makes his way toward the light that radiates from a ceiling window. The monster is drawn to the light—he’s mesmerized by it, and he slowly stumbles toward it while raising his hands. The image of this creature reaching towards light mirrors that of religious iconography. The monster is reaching toward light as if he’s searching for meaning and purpose through religion. Worland describes an expression of innocence painted on the monster’s face. Moments before, however, he describes the look of menace in the monster’s eyes. Worland emphasizes the importance of the eye motif in the film through the use of the phrase “eyes are the windows to the soul,” while again determining the monster’s eyes are menacing. It appears that he has determined that the monster is fated to be evil because he’s a product of evil. I disagree. The monster’s eyes are melancholic and show struggle as he tries to grapple with the purpose of his existence and his inability to control his emotions. He shows remorse after realizing he has killed a young girl, but, ultimately, he seals his fate by being consumed by anger and disgust at his own existence. The camera remains static as it captures Henry framed by doorways, reminiscent of the framed portraits found in the Frankenstein manor. He is trapped and tamed by his enclosure of societal expectations. The monster, however, does not face these restrictions. A mobile camera tracks and pans his movements. His emotions have driven him to run rampant. He has internalized society’s disdain for the unknown, the unnatural, his state as the product of a sterile environment.