With regard to “Frankenstein,” it is hard not to watch the new Netflix release, which had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, without thinking about how, on a surface level, it is so sumptuous to those of us judging from a crafts perspective. “It’s not just that it was so realistic, but that there’s meaning in so much. There’s so much symbolism in the way it’s constructed,” said star Oscar Isaac, who plays Victor Frankenstein in the upcoming Netflix release.
In fact, the metaphor of a full table is one of the descriptions that made the film a must-watch among festivalgoers. “I’ve been creating this banquet for you. You just have to show up and eat,” Isaac added, recalling what the Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker said to him personally before production.
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To his point, del Toro was very particular about the look of the film, given how long it lived in his mind, attempting to make it as practical a set as possible. “There’s a difference between eye candy, which is pretty, and eye protein, which is a fabulous story,” he said. For “Frankenstein,” one of his first thoughts was “Let’s construct the wardrobe and tailor the sets and then give them to the actors.”
Ultimately, from an awards campaign perspective, “Frankenstein” is a major player below the line, for everything from production design to costume design to its original score conducted by longtime del Toro collaborator Alexandre Desplat. “Alexandre and I, we have a deal where, if it’s an important, emotional cue, it’s not ready until I cry,” said the director, in reaction to Desplat’s beautifully “lyrical” work on the film.
Craft was also something that was key to Isaac settling into his own take on Doctor Frankenstein. “We really, early on, approached Victor as more an artist. He knows where he expresses himself, the way he dresses, the way he moves, and less of a scientist. And it comes from a much more painful place,” said the Emmy-nominated actor. “[The film] asks, ‘How do you live with a broken heart, and what do you do with a broken heart?’ And often cruelty happens out of broken hearts.”
Though “Frankenstein” is the best acting showcase Isaac has had in several years, the true standout of the Netflix film is Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, who receives a lot more screen time than one would expect, yet is still most viable as a Best Supporting Actor contender. Not only was the heavy makeup a challenge for the young Australian artist, but he also had less time to prepare for the role, having replaced Andrew Garfield shortly before production commenced.
“I had about three weeks, four weeks, before I got to filming, so it presented itself as a pretty monumental task. But like Oscar said, the banquet was there and everyone was ready to eat,” said Elordi. Similar to del Toro preparing to make the film long before he had the budget for it, Elordi added that “from the moment I was born to being here with you today, all of it is in that character. In so many ways, the creature that’s onscreen in this movie is the sort of purest form of myself. He’s more me than I am.”
