Guillermo del Toro’s latest film, Frankenstein, has been released on Netflix, inviting fans of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel to explore how faithfully it adapts the original narrative. Del Toro’s version retains the core tragic tale while introducing new emotional depth and changes to key characters.
The Story’s Emotional Core and Key Changes by Del Toro
At the heart of both Mary Shelley’s original novel and del Toro’s adaptation is the story of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant scientist who creates life but must deal with devastating repercussions. However, del Toro shifts the focus from purely scientific ambition to a more emotional exploration of shame, forgiveness, and human connection. According to Julie Carlson, a Mary Shelley scholar from the University of California, del Toro’s film demonstrates a sincere admiration for the novel’s complexity and structure.
“I did feel, certainly in comparison to other renditions, there was real love for the book and for Mary Shelley’s brilliance,”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
“It was more faithful to the framed narrative, to the ways that Victor and the Creature get to tell their own story.”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
This respect manifests through preserving the novel’s framed narrative, where both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature tell their stories in their own voices, an element often lost in prior adaptations.
Victor Frankenstein’s Altered Background
Del Toro’s film introduces a significant change by portraying Victor’s father as a violent doctor who abuses him and conducts disturbing experiments on his mother, a plot point absent from Shelley’s book. This new backstory recasts Victor’s motivations, emphasizing feelings of shame rather than pride or blind ambition.
“It’s less about hubris, although of course that’s there, and more about shame. The way the father slaps [Victor] around when he can’t learn his lessons, and then he strikes the Creature when the Creature doesn’t learn as quickly as he wants him to, I think that’s interesting,”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
“It seemed to me there was a little less Faustian stuff about knowledge and power, and more about knowledge and shame and not living up to the name Victor or his father’s reputation.”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
This emphasis on shame reframes Victor’s character struggle as one rooted in familial expectations and personal failure, adding complexity to his obsessive quest to create life.
Elizabeth’s Expanded and Empowered Role
Elizabeth’s character undergoes one of the most notable transformations in del Toro’s Frankenstein. Unlike in the original novel where Elizabeth is Victor’s passive fiancée, the film casts her as a scientist and entomologist engaged to Victor’s younger brother. This change gives Elizabeth an active and intellectual role, allowing her to challenge Victor and embody independence.
Carlson highlights how del Toro cleverly connects this new portrayal to a subtle reference in Shelley’s novel, where Elizabeth is described as “playful as an insect.”
“Shelley once described Elizabeth as ‘playful as an insect,’”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
Elizabeth not only stands out as a confident and assertive character but also forms a unique relationship with the Creature. In contrast to the book, where their paths meet only briefly before her tragic death, the film depicts several encounters that reveal mutual understanding and kindness.
“I think there is a sympathy between the Creature and Elizabeth that is about being a subordinated figure,”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
“I think she identifies with him.”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
The Creature’s Portrayal as Deeply Human
Jacob Elordi’s interpretation of the Creature diverges sharply from the traditional monstrous image, presenting him as introspective, gentle, and profoundly human. This depiction enhances the emotional resonance of the Creature’s plight.
Carlson praises this humanizing approach, noting that it aligns with Shelley’s original focus on the consequences of creating life and the ethical responsibilities involved.
He humanises the Creature,
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
And he does a lot more with face-to-face communication.
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
By softening the Creature’s terrifying nature, del Toro presents him as a symbol of empathy and compassion, moving away from simple horror toward deeper philosophical questions about humanity.
The Film’s Fidelity to Shelley’s Novel and Its Unique Interpretations
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is not a direct, scene-for-scene adaptation, yet it successfully captures the novel’s spirit and emotional depth. While it replaces some of Shelley’s social and political commentary with personal emotional struggles, the film continues to explore profound questions about what defines us as human beings and the consequences of losing empathy.
One of the film’s most faithful sequences involves the Creature’s experience with the De Lacey family, a part often omitted in many versions. Carlson points out this scene as a powerful reflection of Shelley’s themes of friendship and humanity.
“It’s closer to the multi-layered nature of Shelley’s text. It really does divide the film like the book and frames it in the same way. And it’s really not a horror film, it’s a gothic film. I would certainly say it’s more like the book, and it’s trying to honour not just the book, but Mary Shelley”
Julie Carlson, Mary Shelley expert and professor at the University of California
Del Toro’s Frankenstein stands as a gothic film that pays homage not only to Mary Shelley’s creation but also to the emotional and philosophical layers at its core, inviting viewers to reconsider a classic story under a new, intimate light.
