Captured: Directors' Featurette

Evaluation 4

Evaluation Part 2

Evaluation 3

Evaluation 1

Frankenstein (1931) Full Evaluation

Film Title:  Frankenstein (1931)

Genre/Genres: Horror

Director: James Whale

Personal Rating: 6/10

Synopsis:

Henry Frankenstein is a doctor who is trying to discover a way to bring the dead back. He succeeds and creates a monster that has to deal with the living again.

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?

One scene that particularly impressed me was the ‘’It’s Alive!’’ scene. Several horror conventions were used to establish the genre and to intrigue the audience.  The first of which was the general mise-en-scene. This is apparent in what the characters are first wearing. While the ‘’mad doctor’’ wears a white lab jacket and his minion a black jacket, the others wear domestic attire to establish the characters and their roles within the scene. The next is their body language and facial expressions. The doctor is over enthusiastic; screaming over his success, whereas the other two men try to detain him whilst the woman sits back in horror (A common trope of the genre, supporting Laura Mulveys Male Gaze Theory). The next is cinematography. A mix of candid and high/low angles is used to establish power and mental state. The doctor has many high angle shots looking down on him, as we, the audience are judging his madness; whereas the monster is given plenty of low angle shots to establish his large size and overwhelming power. Setting and Iconography also play a large role within the scene. This is clear by the isolated room. This lack of no escape is typical of the genre. Many of the props connote horror well (electric torture machines) and also aid in the establishment of the genre.  Motivated lighting, diegetic sound and pathetic fallacy are all used well to establish the genre. The dark lighting mixed with lightning strikes helps establish a fast paced sequence that adds to the horror of the piece. This is mainly through pathetic fallacy as lightning has connotations of harm and uncertainty, as does the genre.

Another scene that really intrigued me was the ‘’Torch-Wielding Mob’’ scene.  Many horror conventions were used to establish genre and to interest the audience. The first of which was the mise-en-scene.  The settings used and described played heavily to the genres stereotypes. The first use of the town hall helped to add government authority and involvement, often typical of horror films. The other three settings of the lake, mountains and woods were all isolated areas, and all of which were typical areas used as back drops in horror films, connoting the genre. This is also complimented by the use of low-key lighting and the diegetic sound of dogs barking/ the mob yelling, as it establishes night and adds a sense of looming threat from the mob.  The next of which was the attire of the mob. Genders were clearly defined and the roles of men as the disciplinarians were also established. This was due to the men being all dressed the same and the body language/ facial expressions of the women. They were shocked at the sight of the mob and hid from their path, showing the men as the dominant power, as is typical of the horror genre. Another massive Icon was the use of phallic symbols. The use of the hundreds of torches was used well to establish the mobs power and its motivations.

Which aspects of the film would you like to include in your own trailer? Why?

I would like to use several of the forms used within the film. The first of which would be setting. It has been made abundantly clear to me that setting is key in establishing genre from the very get-go. I hope to use an isolated area that connotes isolation with a lack of escape as it really hits home a message of horror appealing to our basic fears. This is shown by Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs as when our basic needs are questioned we are at our most fearful.  I would hope to emulate the same sounds/ lighting I have seen throughout as well. This is because it helps give atmosphere, and then allowing for the use of pathetic fallacy to full shock effect.

What were the best aspects/ more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? How can you recreate this in your own trailer? How?

My favourite part of the film was the lake scene between Frankenstein and the little girls. This is due to its symbolism. Frankenstein being an outsider is finally accepted by someone from the mainstream (albeit a little girl). This is a metaphor for society and its lack of empathy for those outside its CDI. This may well appeal to its target audience as horror often attracts outsiders/ reformers due to their progression and liberal themes such as this one.  However in the end his accident costs him and he is pushed back to the outside as the CDI will not accept him and his ways; another fantastic comment on society.Frankenstein shaped the landscape for cinematic horror. It is remarkable that the conventions established in this film would continue to be used by filmmakers for over four decades.

How does the film show the influence of its "auteur" director? How does it show the director's filmmaking style and soul? Give examples of three scenes from the movie that show their auteur style.

Whale was heavily influenced by German Expressionism. He was an admirer of the films of Paul Leni, combining elements of gothic horror and comedy. This influence isevident in Frankenstein, drawn in part from the work of Paul Wegener and his film The Golem (1915) along with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) from Robert Wiene, which Whale reportedly screened repeatedly while preparing to shoot Frankenstein.

One example of this is during the establishing shot of Frankenstein’s castle. The establishment of gothic themes stems back to Whale’s’ own interests and is used throughout a number of his works to establish genre and themes of darkness/ heavily relying on setting.

Another example is the character of Frankenstein’s monster. Throughout his works he uses costume and props to establish his antagonists/ protagonists, and is used as a signifier throughout his works. This is clear throughout this film through his monster, the authorities and the local population.

He was also credited with being the first director to use a 360-degree panning shot in a feature film, included in Frankenstein. Whale used a similar technique during the Ol' Man River sequence in Show Boat. The camera tracked around Paul Robeson as he sang the song. (The sequence used expressionist montages to show some of the lyrics.) This is clear in Frankenstein as the series of shots used to introduce the Monster: ‘‘Nothing can ever quite efface the thrill of watching the successive views Whale's mobile camera allows us of the lumbering figure’’

Captured: Final Cut (ENSFC Horror Trailer)