Film: Young Frankenstein Directed by Mel Brooks

Young Frankenstein (1974) was the fourth motion picture directed by Mel Brooks. According to Goodykoontz and Jacobs (2011) “the narrative structure is the basic building block of any story” (p. 2.3). The structure is built on the story of how the grandson of Baron Von Frankenstein goes back to his grandfather’s castle and takes over his life’s work on re-animation. Gene Wilder is the creator of the screenplay, and Mel Brooks was invited to help co-write the story. Wilder got the idea one day while sitting around wondering what it would be like to be the grandson of Dr. Frankenstein.

Young Frankenstein (1974) is a tribute, in parody form, to the great Frankenstein movies of the 1930’s, by the writers Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. The film shot entirely in black and white because the director felt like this was the only correct way to shoot a Frankenstein movie.

The film is set in Transylvania in the early 1900’s; the majority of transportation is steam locomotives and horse drawn carriages, though there is a couple of cars. With the exception of the laboratory, the castle is lit entirely by candlelight. The town’s folk use torches for light when they form a mob. The streets in the town appear to be lit by oil burning lamps. This period film does a good job of staying true to the period it is representing.

The plot follows a chronological order; Goodykoontz and Jacobs (2011) state “that events in the movie’s plot follow the same order (although not necessarily the same duration) they would occur in the story, the order of real time” (p. 2.3). The chronological order is clear in the film; Dr. Frankenstein receives his grandfather’s will and travels to Transylvania. He then finds his grandfather’s secret library and writings on re-an...

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...gepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.11.2/sections/sec2.3

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.11.2/sections/sec3.2

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.11.2/sections/sec3.4

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.11.2/sections/sec3.7

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.11.2/sections/sec4.6