Media Studies A2 Genre Study

Media Studies A2 Genre Study HISTORIC TEXT 2 “The Curse of Frankenstein” (1957) Directed by Terence Fisher

What is the origin of “Frankenstein”?  The character was created by early

feminist and champion of women’s rights MARY SHELLEY in 1816.  The novel had already been filmed by Universal studios in 1931, and was reasonably faithful to the book.  HAMMER HORROR wanted to make a new version of the story, setting it in England instead of Germany and changing the look of the monster.

Intertextuality: the 1931 film & the 1957 film 

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Both are concerned with defying the boundaries of science and medicine. In both cases, the arrogance of the Baron is his ultimate undoing. The creation sequence is the key focus of both versions. The look of the 1931 and 1957 texts are heavily stylized.

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Different make-up used, as the copyright was not obtained. Character emphasis was the monster in 1931, and the Baron in 1957. The 1931 version is much less graphic and violent. The end of the 1957 version gives the Baron a darker fate. The 1931 text is set in Germany, and the 1957 text is based in England.

Iconography: the character of Frankenstein’s monster  The

representation of the monster from the 1931 version is conventional; the 1957 monster is subversive.  The monster is made to look sympathetic in the 1931 film. In 1957 the creature is given an evil appearance, and behaves as such.

Representation: gender representation in “The Curse of Frankenstein” Women have a much more pivotal role in this adaptation than they did in the 1931 version.  The characters of Elizabeth and Justine are still rather chauvinistic and stereotypical male perceptions of women, but they serve to demonstrate the human horror at the heart of the piece. 

Deconstruction: key scenes from

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“The Curse of Frankenstein

Three influential sequences exist in the 1957 text “The Curse of Frankenstein”. These are:

1. The creation sequence. 2. The murder of Justine. 3. The final confrontation between the Baron and the Monster.

atch these scenes again and deconstruct them, considering the following :

Mise-en-scène, Cinematography, Representation, Audience, Narrative, Editing, Sound,

Summary: Strengths & weaknesses of “The Curse of Frankenstein”

1. Redefined the horror genre, and gave birth to the new HAMMER institution in Britain.

1. Possibly undermines the heart of the original novel by making the monster unsympathetic.

2. It created a new subversive approach to genre filmmaking.

2. The Baron has no conscience in the film, giving the audience little to empathize with.

3. The film manages to put more emphasis on the human evil rather than the monster.

3. The stylized look and feel can detract from the narrative.

4. The direction and acting create a believable story and setting.

4. It pushed the boundaries of censorship, creating a wave of imitators.

Practical Exercise: A film review In pairs, you are going to imagine you are film critics for a magazine, looking back on “THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN” with a modern perspective. You are going to review the film, comparing it to similar genre efforts and evaluating it. You must consider the following points in your review:

 The narrative structure in the Hammer film version.  The cinematography and subversive elements of the

plot, by comparison to “Dracula” (1931) for instance.  The amoral and unsympathetic characters contained

within the piece itself.