Comparing the Creation Scene in James Whales 1931 Frankenstein and Ken

Comparing the Creation Scene in James Whale's 1931 Frankenstein and Kenneth Brannagh's 1994 Frankenstein James Whale’s 1931 portrayal of Frankenstein when compared to Kenneth Brannagh’s alternate account from 1994 reveals some similarities but also many differences in the way they try to evoke emotions such as horror, fear and expectation from the audience and keep the plot moving. To do this, the directors have used a series of techniques, including: camera shots, use of sound and music, use of lighting and shadows, and mise-en-scene. Many of the differences and similarities between the films are due to the type of audience that the directors were aiming the films at. For example, Whale uses a very traditional horror opening for his creation scene, while Brannagh uses a more contemporary opening with light play and symbolism through candles and shadows. Some of the other main differences between the two styles of films are how closely the film follows the original book, the style through which genres such as horror, romance and action are portrayed, and the strength of the horror and special effects used to keep the audience in a state of expectancy and tension, but also scared and unsure of the outcome. James Whale was trying to create a shocking and contemporary film, which would scare his 1931 audience and be revolutionary in the techniques he used while still retaining a traditional gothic horror genre, whereas Kenneth Brannagh was trying to create an action film, which follows the original book more closely, and portrays the monster in a way that evokes sympathy for the monster, rather than hatred and violence towards a predetermine... ... the audience never really knew how it was going to turn out and what was coming next. However, social preferences and tolerances have changed dramatically over time and so that is why I don’t find the 1931 version as effective at portraying the story or creating tension. Moreover, I find that the 1931 film was certainly more revolutionary than 1994 and tried to go past original limits in regard to style and techniques used more effectively and more continuously than the later film. Finally, I find that although the 1931 film was more revolutionary and may have been more effective if compared with audiences from the respective times, I still prefer the later version it uses more modern effects and follows the original book more closely which allows people who have read the book to relate more closely to the film.