Los Angeles, Aug 21 (UNI) Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, known for his dark gothic depictions, and penchant for eerie aesthetics, is now set to have one of his dream projects ‘Frankenstein’ hit the screen after the project languished in the development stage over two decades.
However, instead of taking the classic horror route, Del Toro’s film is more of an exploration into the grey side of the whole dynamic between Victor Frankenstein and the monster, specifically the psychological disfunction between the two due to bad parenting.
“The usual discourse of Frankenstein has to do with science gone awry,” del Toro told Variety. “But for me, it’s about the human spirit. It’s not a cautionary tale: It’s about forgiveness, understanding and the importance of listening to each other.”
Despite not dialling down any violence or creepiness, del Toro doesn’t see the film as a scary movie. “Ridiculous as it may sound, I see it as a biography of these characters,” he explained.
Long part of his bucket list, Del Toro’s film refigures several essential elements of Mary Shelley’s story into something, weaving it into something wholly original, specifically Victor Frankenstein falling prey to the faults of his own abusive parenting, consequentially not allowing him to see the monster as his own son and his whole encounter with his own creation.
As such, Del Toro’s adaptation – while a monster movie – is not the traditional depiction of the iconic monster. Instead, the real monster is humanity, and how people are often the very architects of the monsters who later haunt them.
Actor Oscar Isaac, who plays Victor Frankenstein, said that this is iteration of a very “European story is told with a very un-European approach.”
The director has told the 207 year old novel’s story through older film techniques while also feeling modern. For this approach, the Oscar winning filmmaker opted for practical effects instead of relying on computer generated imagery, ranging from elaborately designing whole sets to costumes.
“I want real sets,” del Toro explains. “I don’t want digital. I don’t want AI. I don’t want simulation. I want old-fashioned craftsmanship. I want people painting, building, hammering, plastering.”
A Netflix production, the streaming service will give an exclusive three-week theatrical release period to the movie starting on October 17, before debuting it on its service on November 7.
