Director David Wickes was responsible for the horrible David Essex vanity project Silver Dream Racer. With this in mind, you could be forgiven for expecting this 1992 made-for-TV update of the oft-filmed Frankenstein story to be a somewhat trite affair. Surprisingly, this is a pretty good version of the tale. Indeed, it is actually better than the high profile Kenneth Branagh version that was released around 18 months later.
Innovative scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Patrick Bergin) comes up with the idea of making and animating a man. His research consumes him, and his love for the project becomes greater even than his love for his fiancée Elizabeth (Fiona Gillies) and best friend Clerval (Lambert Wilson). Eventually, Frankenstein finishes his creature and it is brought to life in the guise of a huge, disfigured monster (played with considerable emotion by Randy Quaid). It is not long before the monster escapes and heads off into the Alpine countryside. Here it spends its time spying on humans, learning what makes them tick and observing their daily lives. The monster becomes aware of the very human emotions of love and commitment, but because it is so ugly it only arouses fear and revulsion amongst normal humans. Enraged that it will never understand what it is to be loved, the monster returns and kills Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth, thereby robbing its creator of the love-of-his-life and making him share its despair. Frankenstein pursues the monster to the Arctic, where he plans to destroy it.
Wickes is extremely faithful to his source novel, more so than virtually all film-makers who have gone before him. He cuts out occasional bits of Mary Shelley's narrative, and makes the odd change here and there, but on the whole this is as close to Shelley's story as a film version has ever been. Bergin is a revelation as Dr. Frankenstein. Usually a solid but unspectacular character actor, here he gives one of his best-ever performances as the ambitious scientist. On paper, Quaid sounds a terrible choice for the part of the monster (one can't help thinking of the oafish rednecks he played in movies like Moving, National Lampoon's Vacation and Independence Day), but in actual fact he is superb as the monster, registering anguish and pity from beneath layers of heavy make-up. At two hours, the film is paced well and moves briskly without sacrificing character or plot development. (Wickes had already directed two 3-hour made-for-TV films about Jack The Ripper and Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde, both of which were on the excessively lengthy side.) It seems surprising that this film has faded into obscurity, for it is very well-made and admirably faithful to its source book. If you are fortunate enough to find, it is well worth viewing.
Innovative scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Patrick Bergin) comes up with the idea of making and animating a man. His research consumes him, and his love for the project becomes greater even than his love for his fiancée Elizabeth (Fiona Gillies) and best friend Clerval (Lambert Wilson). Eventually, Frankenstein finishes his creature and it is brought to life in the guise of a huge, disfigured monster (played with considerable emotion by Randy Quaid). It is not long before the monster escapes and heads off into the Alpine countryside. Here it spends its time spying on humans, learning what makes them tick and observing their daily lives. The monster becomes aware of the very human emotions of love and commitment, but because it is so ugly it only arouses fear and revulsion amongst normal humans. Enraged that it will never understand what it is to be loved, the monster returns and kills Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth, thereby robbing its creator of the love-of-his-life and making him share its despair. Frankenstein pursues the monster to the Arctic, where he plans to destroy it.
Wickes is extremely faithful to his source novel, more so than virtually all film-makers who have gone before him. He cuts out occasional bits of Mary Shelley's narrative, and makes the odd change here and there, but on the whole this is as close to Shelley's story as a film version has ever been. Bergin is a revelation as Dr. Frankenstein. Usually a solid but unspectacular character actor, here he gives one of his best-ever performances as the ambitious scientist. On paper, Quaid sounds a terrible choice for the part of the monster (one can't help thinking of the oafish rednecks he played in movies like Moving, National Lampoon's Vacation and Independence Day), but in actual fact he is superb as the monster, registering anguish and pity from beneath layers of heavy make-up. At two hours, the film is paced well and moves briskly without sacrificing character or plot development. (Wickes had already directed two 3-hour made-for-TV films about Jack The Ripper and Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde, both of which were on the excessively lengthy side.) It seems surprising that this film has faded into obscurity, for it is very well-made and admirably faithful to its source book. If you are fortunate enough to find, it is well worth viewing.
