Frankenstein - AO2

Frankenstein was released in 1931. However sound was first used in films in 1927 this meant that within the 4 years they have been able to develop ideas of sound. This development meant that the sound that is used in Frankenstein has a large impact on the audience due to this sound. The sound that was used in Frankenstein was cracidy sound.  There is also a warning notice at the beginning of the film, this warning is to tell the audience what to expect of the film this was so that the audience was fully aware of the type of film they where about to watch. At the Introduction of Frankenstein is credits these credits include production team, director, crew, sound and then it starts to go into the actors in the film. The credit for the monster does not actually have a name of the actor who is playing it but a question mark instead. I think that this makes the audience see him more as a monster rather than the actor who is playing it. Frankenstein is a black and white film. 

In the graveyard scene there is alot of panning used this becomes a camera shot that they use alot throughout the film. This is because in the 1930's the cameras where alot larger that what they are now this meant that the way that we can move the camera around now was not possible then because of the weight of them. It would take a team of two to three people to move the camera at all. In the graveyard scene there is also faded transitions into shots this is to show a period of time. The sound effects in the film sound fake and edited in a large example of this is the coffin. Every time this coffin moves the sound affect is the same no matter how much it is opened or even if it is being closed. This makes it seem very un-realistic to watch.

As soon as the words " We must find another brain", the screen goes black and the film cuts to another scene. this leaves the audience wanting to know more and makes them want to carry on watching the film to find out what is going to happen. This means that it gives an enigma. This cuts to a university setting where they are in a biology lab. This scene is all built up around shadows, these shadows are of hunched men and skeletons hanging in the lab. By having the scene based around the shadows has a large impact on the audience this is not because of what the audience is actually seeing but because of there imagination and what they think they are seeing. For the audience these shadows could be completly different from what they actualy are. For example the audeince could think of the hanging skeleton as a hanging person.

The way that Frankenstein is edited means that all of the scene to scene changes are very choppy i.e. they go from seeing one thing to anougher. These edits could be done more fluidly by having fades. By having the scene changes so choppy it means that it is easy for the audience to get confused with the story is it is constantly just changing. They also use alot of blackouts in the film which can also be confusing for the audience.

Next in the film there is love introduced into the story this is between Henry Frankenstein and Elizabeth. Henry Frankeinstein left university which as a result had Elizabeth worried this could show a psychological change. After this there is a blackout again in the story, this could signify a change in the setting or just a new scene.

During the film there is a change in the quality of the film depending on where the camera is. There is a storm at the lab which adds a creepy element on the scene. However the lightening that is used is too bright which makes it look quite fake. This adds a sci- fi element to the film as they are talking about the electrical elements with the storm. This gives the film a new genre that it can be linked with this adds more depth to the film.

The scenee then moves onto Henry Frankenstein with the brain that he has stolen fron the university, in this scene Henry looks almost hypnotised by the brain. There is loud si-fi like noises used in this scene this is to add the tension of the film these noises are used when the machienes are started in the l.ab scene. During this scene there is a pan upwards to show the whole of the lab this therefore gives you a better look at what Henry is actually doing. We as the auidence are told at this point that the monster is an experiment of Henrys. There is a large change in the way that the aaudience has seen Henry Frankenstein in this seen when you see a close up of him looking possessed over his work this a complete change to the way that we have been seeing him loved up when he is with Elizebeth. In this scene Henry Frankenstein shouts out "dont touch that" and when he shouts that there is a small amount of thunder that goes off. This makes the audience wounder what is going on what has been touched and  why did thunder then go off is there a link. Henry started off experimenting with dead animals then he moved on and decided to experiment with a human heart, this was kept alive for 3 weeks. By Henry doing this shows his admiration for his work. There is alot of close ups in this scene to show edsacualy what is going on. When the machiene is started the lightening that is still going on in the background of the scene gets darker. After this machine is started there is a long shot that reveals a body that is tied to the table with straps and buckles. There is then a crane shot when the body is lifted up this then gives an enigma again as the audience wants to know where the body is being taken. The low contrast of the set adds a kind of eeriness, there is then a big flash of light. There is also shots of equipment shown which makes the experiment that Henry is doing seem more technical rather than just odd. There is then a close up of Frankensteins monsters hand quivering then the monster moves, by having this close up means that the audience is aware of the first movement when Henry isn't. This helps the audience feel more involved in the story, the more involved the audience feels the more they are going to be terrified when something goes wrong.

In this film there was a few things that the hays office refused to let them release with the film and made them cut it out. The first example of this is the sentence "It's alive! Now i know what it feels like to be God!". This sentence was cut from the film because of its link to god and the impact this would have on the audience in the 1930's. They also cut this from the film because it made Henry sound possessed with his work. After this there was then a back out again.

After this scene there is then two storylines going on at once one of these was Henry Frankenstein and Elizabeth getting married. The other is Henry finding out that the brain he has taken is evil. Henry then brings the monster into the light the monster walks backwards to get to the light and then he slowly turns around to finally reveal his face. As seen in the image above. There was then two close ups of his face zooming in was also used here. There is silence from the monster even though you would expect there to be some sound to come out of the monster. However because there is such a large amount of silence then you expect there to be something scary to come. This makes the audience go on there edge of there seat preparing for something to come put it doesn't. Rather than the monster actually being scaring it is actually scared of everything around it fire, people etc. Therefore the monster started to become violent to defend itself as it thinks that people are going to hurt him. The screen then goes blank and all the audience can hear is bangs and smashes this is another enigma used to get the audience guessing what has happened. This method is used alot in this film as the writer constantly wants the audience to be using there imagination and to be thinking the worst.

The next scene is introduced by a scream this makes the audience think that someone is being tortured this is another enigma. There is then a sot where The monster kills a man there is then a shadow of a man hanging this is not too visible to the audience so it makes the audience want to now who the man is as well as if that is the man that the monster just killed. After this Henry then goes into the room where the body should be and where the audience has seen this body hanging and there is now neither the body or the hanging figure. Henry then collapses and Henry drugged the monster so he was unconscious. There is then an examination of this monster where there is also close up shots of the surgical rods in which Henry is using to examine the monster. This scene then moves on to close ups of the monster once he  have re gained consensus, these close ups are of the monster walking. There is then a close up of the monsters arms going up to strangle Dr walds. This is a slow movement of the monster. The monster then escapes from the laboratory this leaves the audience wanting to know where the monster is going as well as if the Dr is dead. This enigma is created when there is a black out as the audience are left wanting to know.

Henry Fankenstien then goes back to Elizabeth so it seems like he is getting better. There is then another Black out.

The film then moves on to Henry and Elizabeths wedding day. camera zooms out of the shot so that the audience can see the whole family. During this film there is very little camera movements due to the fact that they where very large and heavy so doing the style of camera work that we do know would have meant that they would have needed more than one person to move them which was not fundable for them. However they had just discovered how to do tracking, pans, crane as well as stationary shots where used. The house of Frankenstein is a large house with a rich family living in it. The shot is then moved on to outside of the house at the town who are all gathering outside for the wedding. This camera then moves through the town this is probably done with either a dolly or a tracking shot.

Film then moves on to a shot of a house in the country where there is an innocent girl around the age of 6 who is playing with flowers. Frankensteins monster then sees her and gets confused but seems to like the girl so goes over and plays with the flowers with her. They both then start to flout the flowers on the water like boats. This seems to be quite a nice scene but gives the audience the idea that something is going to happen as it seems too quiet. After the monster runs out of flowers his evil side takes over and he throws the girl in the water as he thinks that she will flour like the flowers. This was not just a evil thing that he did, he didn't understand that she would not flout. This scene was taken out of the film when it was first released as they found it disturbing. However they have now put it back in due to the rules of film changing. After he throws girl in he runs away.

There is a large contrast between this sad scene and when they go back to the house of Frankenstein where everyone is happy as they are unaware that Frankensteins monster has escaped. Therefore it goes on to the happy street party. Elizabeth is worried as she thinks that there is something coming between her and Henry. Therefore Henry locks her in a room as he finds out that the monster has escaped. There is then a search for the monster as there hear some noises. These noises change depending on where they are in the house. We then move on to Elizabeths room where we see the monster luring in the shadows of Elizabeths room. Elizabeth then sees him and screams so Henry comes to her and the monster runs off. Scene then moves on to the girls dad coming into the town carrying the girls body. Everyone then follows him to the house of frankenstein. Henry then tells everyone that he will kill the monster because he hurt Elizabeth. The town then follow Henry to find the monster only the men go and they want him to be alive. All of the men then walk into this dark area so it gives the audience the vibe that something is going to happen. Silhouette's then used no light on the faces. Henry then walks off on his own to find the monster. The monster then pops round from the back of a stone and starts to fight with Henry. Henry then gets knocked uncocious so the monster then takes is body to the lab. The men then watch this and follow the monster. The men then walk towards the shadow of the monster these shadows make the monster look alot bigger and more intimidating. Henry then wakes in the lab and there is more fighting between him and the monster. The monster then throws Henry of the windmill i.e the lab onto the sails of the windmill, body then lands on the floor. Windmill then sets on fire the monster fears and starts to scream. This fire was expensive for the studio to do. The monster then tries to escape from the building and a beam lands on him, fade out is then used to give the audience the enigma of whether he is dead or not. Then it moves back to the house of frankenstein where there is then a short scene into the end of the film.


There was a good cast of actors and actresses used in this film. The studio realises this and therefore talks about re using them. The audience knows this as it is said in the credits "A good cast is worth repeating". Also in the finale credits they change the monsters name of the actor from a ? to the actual name of the actor. Orchestra music is used in the background of the credits.