 |
I had to laugh the other evening when a television program was advertised: "Searching for the Real Frankenstein." There's only one "real" Frankenstein: the story that the 19yo Romantic Period author, Mary Godwin Shelley, created. Once the history of her text is known, it's funny to consider that anyone's looking for a "real" Frankenstein. So here's that history: During the Romantic Period of writing, Percy Bysshe Shelley & Lord Byron were immensely popular writers. During the earlier women's rights movement of the 1800's, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote the famous, "A Vindication for the Rights of Women." She was married to Godwin, a famous writer in his own right. Mary Shelly is Wollstonecraft & Godwin's daughter, who survived her mother at childbirth. Godwin raised their daughter to be a writer. Mary Godwin contemplated her ideas while laying on her mother's grave. She fell in love with P.B. Shelley & they were married. Shortly thereafter she lost their first child. One October in Germany, P.B. Shelley, Lord Byron & Mary Shelley entered into a bet: who could compose the best ghost story? (Originally the bet was only between the men, but Mary asserted herself into it!). Guess who won? The 19yo Mary. Who knows what P.B. Shelley or Lord Byron ever wrote for that bet? Who hasn't ever heard of "Frankenstein"? It's all Mary's work. I wonder if there were any wagers on the bet? Among literary critics Mary's "Frankenstein" has been read in numerous ways: as a personal grief story of loss & death; of feeling herself to be some sort of unspeakable, unsociable creature; and as a scathing social critique of the scientific god-complexes men had in hers & her mother's times. I will go with the latter god-complexes of men thesis. Making Mary's horror story "Frankenstein" into a film with Robert De Niro playing the "monster" & Kenneth Branagh playing Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist, was casting genius. But it cannot touch the ingenuity & courage it took for Mary Shelley to compete with & win writing the timeless classic horror story that rivaled with the work of both unrivaled Romantic era writers. How intimidating that might have been for a 19yo young woman who'd never been published! We can only imagine what was on Mary's mind, even though she tells us frankly in the foreword of the text. When I think that a 19yo young woman invented "Frankenstein," & inspired all of the renditions that have captured renowned producers' & directors' minds, characters great actors have attempted to portray, I am finally pleased with this screen version & glad it is preserved on film. It is well worth reading Mary Shelley's book in order to understand the social contexts of the screen versions & why this is the one I prefer as truest to Shelley's private contest winning classic horror story~Read full review
Robert De Niro does a good job with the monster
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in VHS Tapes
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on VHS Tapes
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
