Comparing Shelley's Frankenstein And Branagh Of The 1994 Film

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In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the creature is born a blank slate who becomes corrupted by his acquaintances. The Tabula Rasa theory states that people become who they are based on the experiences they have. Directors James Whale of the 1931 film, and Kenneth Branagh of the 1994 film, incorporate Shelley’s ideas into their interpretation of the story by emphasizing Mise-en-scene and framing shots in a slightly different fashion during the birth of Frankenstein’s monster. In the 1931 film, James Whale displays Frankenstein as a mentally ill scientist caught up in his obsession of “infusing life into an inanimate body” (pg. 35). When the monster first awakens, Frankenstein screams “It’s Alive” multiple times. Not only does this scene emphasize