God and Man in Dracula, The Mummy and Bride of Frankenstein

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Recommended: The dichotomy between nature and nature in Frankenstein

God and Man in Dracula, The Mummy and Bride of Frankenstein

The cycle of films produced at Universal Studios in the early 1930s

represents, in important ways, the advent and elaboration of the

twentieth century horror genre. Among the many themes introduced in

films such as Dracula (1930), The Mummy (1931) and Bride of

Frankenstein (1935) is that of God and Man. In this paper, I intend to

explore this theme by closely investigating the creation of the bride

that takes place near the end of Bride of Frankenstein. Although a

variety of narrative codes operating in this scene illuminate the

film's meaning, it is the fine line between God and Man that deserves

critical scrutiny.

The creation of the bride scene opens up with the kites being released

into the oncoming storm in hope of catching the electricity from a

lightening bolt. We then cut to a low angle shot of Frankenstein

running down the stairs towards the laboratory. After reaching the

bottom, he runs to a giant electrical machine, the view tilted so as

to give the feeling of anticipation as he holds the switch and bites

his lip. Dr. Pretorius is shown from a low angle, with light splayed

across his face and dark machines looming in the background giving him

an almost god-like status. The next shot is a high-angle shot of Dr.

Frankenstein, making it seem like he's cowering in submission, a slave

to Dr. Pretorius. With various close-ups of machines crackling and

sparking with electricity, we again come upon Frankenstein, looking

around, waiting to throw the switch that would begin the process to

start life in the dead. By this time he has fully accepted the fact

that he is a ...

... middle of paper ...

...tower with the machine rising above the roof,

after which the camera cuts to a full shot of the body being hooked up

to various wires by Dr. Pretorius' workers.

The most critical arrangement of shots then occurs the moment before

life is given to the body. The camera cuts back to the lab with an

aerial close-up of Dr. Frankenstein who has shadows cast across his

face from underlighhting. The same for Dr. Pretorius as we cut back

and forth between the two. As the shots go back and forth, the

lighting on their faces gets gradually brighter making their eyes seem

to sink back into their heads and disappear, leaving only empty

sockets. This plays into the theme that they are no longer controlled

by God or nature, but by evil. The section ends with Frankenstein

appearing on the roof after awakening from his slumber.

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