RM - Frankenstein Deconstruction

Name: Frankenstein
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Year Released: 1994
Budget: $45,000,000
Takings: $22,006,296 (USA)
                £5,723,059 (UK)


Columbia Tristar Home Video
Tristar Pictures

Title screen

Film starts with a black screen and subtitles, something white in the middle of the screen getting closer. Audience finds out its the title of the film Mary Shelley’s come closer slowly binary opposite to Frankenstein which appears quickly in multiple layers. Also music suddenly rises, false scare already after narrative hints at it with “quick the readers beating heart”





Text appears on screen in the style as it would a book, pictured to the left. Thus giving the audience valuable information about what has happened up to where the film begins. Text ends at 1:35.

Establishing shot also includes
anchorage of location and year.

Crash of lightening which also appears on screen signifies the first shot. Location and year have been anchored (Arctic Sea 1794). Establishing shot of sailing boat travelling through a storm, the shot pans around the boat whilst there are crashes of thunder and lightning,immediately builds upon the tension of the film. Audience already thinks something is going to happen. Cuts to a long shot panning upwards whilst focusing on a man trying to see what course they are taking whilst being drenched with water. Water covers the screen this is used to cut to another shot of someone being through of some ropes. Wide variation of shots and angles from the start. Short takes also thrown into the mix (i.e. barrels being thrown over). Panning used frequently as well.

Another example of an establishing
shot.

Zooming into the captain whom is steering the ship starts of blurry but focuses more whilst getting closer – similar to a point of view and face being covered with water. Cuts to the sailing get ripped anchors one of sailor’s points. Cuts back to a group shot of captain and crew members. Throughout the sequence there are cuts to crew members in distress and captain struggling to maintain the ships bearings. Mad panic in shots – used by medium shots is juxtaposed by a very extreme long shot showing the audience the nature of the storm.

An example of a two shot.

Another example of a two shot used.

Cuts back to a medium long shot which is part of a reaction-shot-reaction (shot-reaction-shot) of an iceberg approaching the ship. Music immediately starts and builds up in sound and suspense. Shot zooms in to show crew/captains expression followed by a cut to the person maintaining the ships course. Followed by an over the shoulder type of shot taken from behind the iceberg. Quick takes and a wide variation of shot co-inside with the non-diegetic music. Several shot types are repeated and some in the same positions as before. Another over the shoulder type shot used anchors the ship has hit the iceberg. Match on action to further signify the ship has hit the iceberg, music quickens and loud ends. More panning shots and quick takes with a wide shot variation are used to signify and anchor the panic the crew are in. Music is still increasing to anchor this panic and what the audience is seeing on screen. Shot-reaction-shot again used to show the panic of the crew member struggling for his life whilst in the icy sea contrasted to the captain trying to maintain his calmness. (Second shot in this is a group shot but focuses on two people) Cuts back to this shot to focus on their reaction. Medium shots medium angle used whereas the shot of the single person is a medium shot but high angle – signifies weakness and a victim.

A close-up which is part of
a shot-reverse-shot

Another close-up which is part of
a shot-reverse-shot

Cuts back to a long shot of the ship being battered by the sea and shot fades music fades and replaced by a calmer music as a new shot (very extreme establishing shot) anchors the new location of the crew. Tracking shot of men chopping wood close-up used diegetic noise coming from the axes hitting wood. Pans out from a close-up to a long shot. Cuts to a single shot which becomes a two shot of binary opposites. One man is old, calm, white haired, and dressed in white whilst the other man is young, annoyed, brown hair and dressed in brown. Panning shot focusing more of the person of the right signifies power and most likely to be the captain – normally its person of the left who’s in power - countertype. Word “Mutiny” makes the camera zoom in and the person on the right gets more annoyed and music builds, tension builds again. However calm re-action also anchored by the music which becomes calmer again. Same shot as previously but has become a group shot. Shot still panning/tracking depending on the captain’s movement. Cut to a close-up of the captain turning around. Cut to the crew member he is talking to – doesn’t break 180 degree rule.

Another example of a two shot
which pictures two members of
the crew

Part of a shot-reaction-shot
also a false scare.

Howl is also a part of this signifies something out there in the arctic, builds tension. Shot changes to what it was previously to show the reaction of the captain and crew members face followed by a point of view looking out into the wilderness, nothing apart from white fog can be seen. Dogs start to bark/whimper. Something comes into glimpse briefly. Shot of several dogs’ reaction builds upon tension followed by crew member’s reactions. Music has started, builds the tension further more. Point of view used followed to a group shot of the captains and crew member’s reaction this time in the opposite way as shown before. Music builds further more and camera zooms into captain’s face. Builds tension even more. Followed again by another Point of View looking out into the wilderness, something moving, shot goes back to what it was (before zooming in) this time it is now a group shot as crew members have taken an interest into what is happening. Followed by another point of view this time creature is dead central in the shot and getting closer. Medium angles are used throughout the sequence. Music builds even more. Close-up and two shot of crew members scared one is about to shoot. Followed by close-up of more captains’ expressions. Separated by shots of the being getting closer.

False scare revealed as the being takes off his hood, pictured to the left, and reveals he is a man, pictured to the right. Shot zooms in whilst this is happening to build the tension. Shot-reaction-shot between this man and captain. Followed by shots of crew members still looking nervous. Again medium angles are used. Same three shots are used between the man, captain and crew in quick succession, then shots reverse. Another non-diegetic moan. Shots quicken, close-up of dogs leads breaking followed by panning of them running away.

Shot taken from the actual scare

Point of view of dogs running into distance. Followed by quick shots of them attacking and being killed by an unknown creature – narrative enigma – hear non-diegetic growling and whimpering. Followed by a reaction shot and point of view. Repeated again but focusing on a different crew member. Noises of whimpering and growling continue. Loud howl and quite whimpering end the point of view shot and link to another repeated shot of the reaction. Music increases as panic sets in again with the crew members. Long shot of the ship is interrupted by a blooded hand appearing in the foreground. Adds to the tension which has already been brought up by the dogs being killed, panic amongst the crew and music. Music ends abruptly. Followed by a group shot of crew still in panic.

Final shot of the scare

Music died down but builds up as the crew become more panicked. Juxtaposed with a two shot of inside a cabin where it appears calm, pictured to the left, compared to outside. Music still going on and builds tension. Shot-reaction-shot reaction the captain and the male from the false scare second shot more close-up. Another grown interrupts this shot which is followed by a group shot of the panicked crew members. Followed by a close-up of the captain. Panning shot used to zoom into the fog although there’s heavy breathing signifies point of view. Followed by a two shot of inside the cabin which is now in panic. Over-the-shoulder shots used to show each of the pairs face. Again doesn’t break the 180 degree rule. Shot changes between the two although more emphasis is on the captain – signifies power. Music builds until the man who was part of the false scare anchors himself to be Victor Frankenstein – and anchors being outside, music dies down as the shot fades into another one for the next scene set in 1773, Geneva.

Opening scene length: 7:22

Imdb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109836/
Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_(1994_film)