With specific references to the film and to at least two other written sources, examine the function of science as it is presented within the film.
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Dr. Frankenstein and the monster he has created turn out to be alive, and they are not killed in the film as had been previously thought about deeply. Having been in the film industry for quite some time, he feels it is time he should get out of the business. A mad scientist however kidnaps his wife; the doctor gives in to his request to help him create a woman who was going to be a companion of the monster (Riley, 1989: 34)
The film begins by showing how Dr Praetorious and Dr Henry Frankenstein starts by toasting their new friendship using a glass of gin. It was done before proposing a partnership for working together. They unveil a several miniature living human beings. These miniature people are placed in bell jars. It can, therefore, be noted to be the first instance of science that is shown in this film. Praetorius tells Frankenstein that while he was working alone, he managed to create a human being and in fact a man. He, therefore, believes that when they are working together, they can, therefore, manage to create a mate for a man that he had created alone. The quest that the two doctors had becomes the inspiration for this movie (Whale, Mary, & Peggy: 1999: 34).
This film is being said as one of the best which was done by James Whale. This film is being described as a sly, subversive work which smuggled quite a number of shocking materials. The shocking materials were somehow disguised in the trappings of horror. This film that was made by Whale is more surprising as compared to the time when it was made. It can vehemently be attributed to the reason that the audience for today is somehow alert to the hints that are buried of homosexuality, sacrilege and even matters of concerning necrophilia. One thing that James Whale believed in was that you didn't have to deconstruct something so that you may enjoy it. This film is satirical, funny, exciting, and even influential (Riley, 2009: 23).
The main idea of the film is the monster that is played by the Boris Karloff comes up again and terrifies the children and even frightens the women. The monster at some point even plays a jiggling tune to the masculine spines like the snarling, pitiful and the lumbering. It is something that the scientists formed from the grave and managed to bring it back to life. The scientists managed to bring back to life a human corpse which had died.
The memories of the monsters first screen can be clearly seen in this session. Time had past since the Monster had died in the fire. It is where Frankenstein had stopped. At the end of the second chapter, it is, therefore, known that he had managed to survive. There are a number of things of things that can be seen to be scientifically presented. It is very difficult for something that had died to talk and was a corpse to gain human forms and talk. These characters can be seen to have changed in the Monster.
It should be known that at one point of its life, was somehow going brute, and was killing just for the sake of killing. There are some differences that can be observed right now. He is depicted as being kind. The Monster has even learned to speak. He can smoke cigars and even drink wine. These are activities that are only done by human beings. It is only through the use of scientific forces so that non-human beings can be able to do these activities. When they are taking wine, he says, "Good" gluttonously and even points at the things that he want. The monster even says the word "Bad" as he shakes the square metal head at the fire. A person might feel amused at the way in which this monster has softened. This type of amusement is however a respectful one and nobody dare to laugh because the Monster might snarl at such laughter.
The forces drive the friends to go back and exhume more bodies as compared to what they had been doing. After they have exhumed the bodies, they look for a human heart which is still very fresh. They do this by either killing or using any other means which they find appropriate human flesh. When they have obtained the two, then they harness some powers to help in converting the former being into Elsa Lanchester. Arguably, it was going to be the bride for the Monster. It is recorded that the power that they used is the power of the storm.
The use of the power of the storm in creating a bride for the Monster is what can be said not to be scientific. However, when we look into this critically, we can conclude that there was also a science in this creation. Does the storm have power to give life? It is not true. The reason for taking a fresh human heart means that the human being is not dead. Therefore, it cannot mean that the person who was created was one that was totally dead (Green & William, 1985).
The work that was done can be compared to what happens in the assembly industry. Taking an industry that deals with the production of vehicles. Several parts are then brought together. After the whole process, a complete vehicle is the end product. The process that is involved in the making of vehicles can also be said to be scientific. It is the same process which the two doctors go through. They bring several parts of a human being together and then the end product is bride for the monster (Whale, Mary, & Peggy: 1999: 34).
The whole process that the Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Praetorious used is purely scientific. There is no way an amateur can put up parts until they become a whole structure that can walk and talk just the same way a normal human being would behave. Therefore, it becomes an excellent source through which the elements of science are been depicted in the film. At first it looks very rough to the bride who has just been created (Green & William, 1985). Nothing seems to happen to the lovelorn that are represented as being calf-eyed. These show exquisite instances of scientific evidence being shown in the film. Science has been used to some extent in this film. Watching some of the films that were being produced during this period, it is there so many which did not show elements of scientific facts. It however did show quite a lot of it.
There some instances where the function of science in the poem can be identified are also in the use of old building that have laboratory. The laboratory that Victor used to create the human beings was also perfectly set. The reason behind it being, the laboratories together with the scientific knowledge which was found during that time were not known to the common reader. The average reader did not understand the factors behind the knowledge that was used. As such, it can be said to be one of the important roles which science was expected to accomplish in this film (Whale, Mary, & Peggy: 1999: 34).
The people who were viewing this film could not easily understand the factors that were revolving around the formation of the bride who was supposed to be used in the film. The use of the science tries to add some elements of the film that were intended by the writer: to make the viewer wonder or marvel at the tactics that were used in coming up with the bride. They wanted to show that they have the power to create other people.
This film was also produced in a time when science was used every day in people’s lives. It was a time when it was legitimate to provide a practical explanation. It was also a time when the people decided to ignore the subliming side of nature simply. Things that could not be understood were ignored. It is the period that was known as the Age of Enlightenment. The generation when the film was produced was one which was based on developments in the scientific inventions and there is a way in which the scientific innovations were occupying people's minds to the extent they started erasing the traditional knowledge. The educated people relied on reason to explain the daily occurrences (Whale, Mary, & Peggy: 1999: 34).
Works Cited
"Bride of Frankenstein Movie Review (1935) | Roger Ebert." Movie Reviews and Ratings by Film Critic Roger Ebert | Roger Ebert. N.P., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Green, Carl R, and William R. Sanford. Bride of Frankenstein. Mankato: Crestwood House, 1985. Print.
"Movie Review - Bride of Frankenstein - At the Roxy. - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.P., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Riley, Philip J. MagicImage FilmBooks Presents the Bride of Frankenstein. Absecon: MagicImage Filmbooks, 1989. Print.
Whale, James, Mary W. Shelley, and Peggy Weblin. Frankenstein: The Bride of Frankenstein. London N.P., n.d. (1999) Print.
