What Was Bride Of Frankenstein About?

The Bride of Frankenstein, a classic horror film, is based on the premise that the monster has survived the angry mob’s attempt to destroy him at the end of the original film. The movie follows Baron Henry Frankenstein, who is blackmailed by his old mentor, Dr. Pretorius, and his monster, Frankenstein. The Bride is played by Elsa Lanchester and is replete with Christian imagery.

The Bride of Frankenstein is a subversive work that begins where James Whale’s Frankenstein ended. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil experiment business, but when a mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius, kidnaps his wife, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature. The original Bride of Frankenstein was released in 1935 and features Boris Karloff as the screen’s most misunderstood monster, while Elsa Lanchester stars as his ill-fated bride.

The Bride of Frankenstein is a riveting, funny, and suspenseful horror classic that explores themes of dialogue between men, dominion, technology, and the creation of life. The film is replete with Christian imagery and crosses, making it a must-watch for fans of Mary Shelley’s novel.

Why did the bride of Frankenstein hiss?

For those that have never actually seen 1935s The Bride of Frankenstein, let me get you up to speed. The titular Bride is given barely any screen time, appearing for roughly three whole minutes. Dr. Frankenstein reanimates the body of a companion for his misunderstood monster and upon her awakening, is immediately horrified by everything around her. She hisses at the monster who cries out, “she hate me like the others” and proceeds to tear apart the entire laboratory and tower. He kills them both by blowing up the lab, but not before telling her “we belong dead.” They die. The end.

For a movie called “The Bride of Frankenstein,” the film surely doesnt give a single warm shit about the titular character or how she feels about becoming a Bride. The source material (Mary Shelleys Frankenstein) doesnt do her many favors either, existing as a bargaining chip for the monster as the only way hell agree to leave society. The would-be Bride never even gets the chance to live once again because Dr. Frankenstein has a change of heart after thinking about the possibility of his two creations making monster babies and destroying all of humanity and elects not to reanimate her.

Look, I get it. Universal needed to shoehorn in a female character into its Universal monster camp group like a state college pamphlet trying to boast diversity, but its never sat well with me that the Bride was the choice. First of all, Countess Marya Zaleska of Draculas Daughter fame has a whole-ass movie and character arc, not to mention a heart wrenching story about coming to terms with her own sexuality, compared to the Bride who exists solely as a gift for another character and is immediately killed for daring to have her own autonomy.

What are the themes of Bride of Frankenstein?

With this storyline as a background, Bride of Frankenstein then subliminally deals with intense sexual, gender, social, racial, and religious implications. As with most films based on Mary Shelleys book, Bride of Frankenstein presents a transgressive treatment of women. Indeed, Henry is portrayed as a man so terrified by female sexuality that his scientific research leads him to an asexual way of reproduction that does not even require a human womb.

Denied their role in natural human procreation, all the females in the film are portrayed as weak, powerless and irrelevant. Such is the case of Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson), Harrys fiancée. She always ranks second in his life: for Harry, his experiments are far more important than his love life. James Whale then visually reinforces the structure of their relationship by placing Elizabeth near the edge of every frame during even important scenes.

Interestingly, the gender politics of the film appear to change towards the finale, with the creation of the terrifying bride. The female monster is powerful and commands attention. In these sequences, Whale allows the bride to take prominence in the frame, and contrary to Elizabeth, she is at the center of the composition (with the males in subservient roles). However, she is still monstrous and deformed, with grotesquely exaggerated womanly traits (such as her outrageous hair and unearthly screams). As a consequence, this creature becomes a Freudian nightmare: she embodies the idea of unleashed female sexuality overpowering patriarchal authority.

Is the Bride of Frankenstein better than Frankenstein?

Arguably the greatest of all the films inspired by Whales original Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein is a direct sequel. But Bride is actually livelier and funnier than the first film, while generating even more sympathy for its hapless monster and creating even more impressive Expressionist visuals. Bride also differs from its predecessor in that it was made after the full implementation of the Hollywood Production Code, and many of its offbeat touches can be attributed to the way Whale fenced with the censors throughout the production of the film, attempting to evade their attempts to water down the contents. Among other things, he did so by introducing a great deal of gay iconography, knowing that the censors would probably not recognize it.

As Bride of Frankenstein begins, we can immediately see that things have changed since the initial Frankenstein. Now, instead of being credited simply as “?,” Karloff is actually credited above the title of the film—though only by his last name. Then, a brief credits sequence (accompanied by Franz Waxmans dramatic title music), ends with a cast list that includes the enigmatic entry: “The Monsters Mate,” credited now to “?,” as the Monster was in the first film. Meanwhile, the music itself shifts at the end of the credits to a Romantic theme that will run throughout the film. The music then becomes dramatic again as the film cuts to a rather Gothic mountaintop castle amid a heavy thunderstorm, creating a horror-film atmosphere and producing the expectation that this is the castle of Frankenstein. It quickly becomes clear, though, that this is the castle in Switzerland where Mary Godwin supposedly conceived the idea for her story in during a stay with Lord Byron and her future husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816. This scene modifies historical reality a bit, suggesting that Mary was already Mary Shelley at this time (she and Percy were married later that year, after the suicide of his first wife), but also suggesting that the first part of the story (entailing the events of the first film) had already been written. This setup allows Byron to give a quick recap of the first film, as we then move into the events of the second. Meanwhile, the suggestion that Mary and Percy are already married might be taken as a nod to the censors, who were by the time of this film fully enforcing the dictates of the Production Code, which forbade the depiction of “immoral” behavior such as the cohabitation of Mary and Percy when he was still married to someone else. Mary herself, meanwhile, delivers a message to the censors with her explanation that, in writing her story, “my purpose was to write a moral lesson of the punishment that befell a mortal man who dared to emulate God.”

The events of Bride of Frankenstein essentially begin where the first film ended, though there is actually a bit of overlap, as Henry has not yet returned to his castle (he is now the baron, his father having somehow disappeared from the scene) when this film begins. He is quickly carted away, though, leaving the burning mill to collapse in ruin. The villagers disperse, assuming the Monster to have been killed in the fire, though Marias father (now played by Reginald Barlow, in one of several casting changes between the two films) insists on seeing the dead Monster for himself. The Monster, of course, is still alive, having taken refuge in a pool of water beneath the mill. Wounded and enraged, the Monster attacks and drowns the father, thus consigning him to the same fate as his daughter. Then, the Monster climbs out of the mill and tosses Marias mother (Mary Gordon) down into the pool, presumably killing her as well.

What happens at the end of Bride of Frankenstein?

Henry and Pretorius succeed in following the creation of Man with the creation of Woman (Elsa Lanchester again). But Woman is not happy with Man and backs away from him, hissing in horror and fear. The Monster is despondent. He frees Henry and his wife, and then releases a lever that blows the castle to atoms, thus destroying himself, his bride and Dr. Pretorius.

Well, not quite. In the next film, Son of Frankenstein, we learn that the Monster has managed to survive yet again.

Did Frankenstein love his wife?

Victor Frankensteins wife is Elizabeth Lavenza. She was adopted as a child by Victors family. As they grew up together, Victor fell in love with Elizabeth and eventually sought her hand in marriage. She is portrayed as a gentle, loving woman who deeply cares for Victor.

What type of monster is the bride of Frankenstein?

Bride of Frankenstein (character)Bride of FrankensteinPortrayed byElsa LanchesterIn-universe informationSpeciesSimulacrum humanGenderFemale.

Elsa Lanchester as the Monsters Bride with Boris Karloff as the Monster in Bride of Frankenstein.

The Bride of Frankenstein is a fictional character first introduced in Mary Shelleys 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and later in the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. In the film, the Bride is played by Elsa Lanchester. The characters design in the film features a conical hairdo with white lightning-trace streaks on each side, which has become an iconic symbol of both the character and the film.

Historyedit. Noveledit. In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, Victor Frankenstein is tempted by his monsters proposal to create a female creature so that the monster can have a wife: Shall each man, cried he, find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?1 The monster promises that if Victor grants his request, he and his mate will vanish into the wilderness of South America, never to reappear. Fearing for his family, Victor reluctantly agrees and travels to the Orkney Islands to begin his work on the creatures mate. He is plagued by premonitions of what his work might wreak, particularly the idea that creating a bride for the monster might lead to the breeding of an entire race of creatures that could plague mankind. After seeing his first creation looking in the window, Frankenstein destroys the unfinished bride. The monster witnesses this, fails to get Victor to put it back together, and vows to be with Victor on his upcoming wedding night. True to his word, the monster murders Frankensteins new wife Elizabeth.

Why did Victor destroy the Bride?

The Bride is a killjoy because she refuses to play along. The fear inspired by The Bride is akin to Sara Ahmeds version of a killjoy who “‘snaps the bond,…understood as snapping the affective tie of the family as well as the bond of reproduction, understood as fate, or even fatality” (Willful Subjects 114). Feelings like love and compassion glue a community together, and those that do not participate or feel a certain way disrupt community. In Shelleys novel, Victor Frankenstein accepts his creatures demand to create a fellow being that will understand and sympathize with the creatures experiences. Victor gets as far as constructing the body only to destroy it in a moment of “ethical concern.” He fears The Bride will corrupt and disrupt the world as the monster has. Her potential for killing joy is the reason he destroys her. Interestingly, he also questions the ethics of creating a creature against their will. She inspires both fear and sympathy here. In all of the adaptations discussed in this paper, The Bride refuses to participate the way she is expected to.

The Brides narrative disruption is queer. The bonds Ahmed discusses, those that tie us to “normal” or “straight,” are the very ones that are adapted and queered by adaptations of The Bride. In the adaptations discussed in this essay, she snaps bonds—whether she accepts the male creature and they live happily ever after as monstrous outcasts or she refuses to love the male creature—or reroutes them. We can read the bond as disrupting expectations for women and corrupting them by suggesting other possibilities. As a monster who is refused creation because of her potential to break affective bonds, or is destroyed after snapping those bonds, the female monster has complicated discussions of monstrous female feeling. I argue corruption and disruption are intertwined in the Frankenstein Bride narrative. This essay explores the possibilities that adaptations as a queering process gives us.

The palimpsestic process is a queer one. In this essay, I argue recent adaptations have provided The Bride with queer and disruptive sources of possibility. I use the word “queerness” in the tradition of Pamela Demory. Adaptation as a form is particularly adept at offering us queer potential:

Why did Victor destroy the bride?

The Bride is a killjoy because she refuses to play along. The fear inspired by The Bride is akin to Sara Ahmeds version of a killjoy who “‘snaps the bond,…understood as snapping the affective tie of the family as well as the bond of reproduction, understood as fate, or even fatality” (Willful Subjects 114). Feelings like love and compassion glue a community together, and those that do not participate or feel a certain way disrupt community. In Shelleys novel, Victor Frankenstein accepts his creatures demand to create a fellow being that will understand and sympathize with the creatures experiences. Victor gets as far as constructing the body only to destroy it in a moment of “ethical concern.” He fears The Bride will corrupt and disrupt the world as the monster has. Her potential for killing joy is the reason he destroys her. Interestingly, he also questions the ethics of creating a creature against their will. She inspires both fear and sympathy here. In all of the adaptations discussed in this paper, The Bride refuses to participate the way she is expected to.

The Brides narrative disruption is queer. The bonds Ahmed discusses, those that tie us to “normal” or “straight,” are the very ones that are adapted and queered by adaptations of The Bride. In the adaptations discussed in this essay, she snaps bonds—whether she accepts the male creature and they live happily ever after as monstrous outcasts or she refuses to love the male creature—or reroutes them. We can read the bond as disrupting expectations for women and corrupting them by suggesting other possibilities. As a monster who is refused creation because of her potential to break affective bonds, or is destroyed after snapping those bonds, the female monster has complicated discussions of monstrous female feeling. I argue corruption and disruption are intertwined in the Frankenstein Bride narrative. This essay explores the possibilities that adaptations as a queering process gives us.

The palimpsestic process is a queer one. In this essay, I argue recent adaptations have provided The Bride with queer and disruptive sources of possibility. I use the word “queerness” in the tradition of Pamela Demory. Adaptation as a form is particularly adept at offering us queer potential:

Did the bride of Frankenstein love the monster?

Young Frankenstein. In this 1974 parody film, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein is engaged to Elizabeth, but falls in love with the lab assistant Inga instead. Concurrently, Elizabeth discovers that she loves the Monster. In the final scene, Elizabeth is married to the Monster, who has been made into a stock market genius by having Frederick donate a portion of his own brain. Elizabeth has taken on a personality like the 1935 Bride in order to please her husband. Madeline Kahn does a humorous imitation of Elsa Lanchesters hissing, spitting performance.

Frankenweenie. In Tim Burtons short film, the monster dog Sparky, after surviving the collapse of the burning windmill, meets a female poodle who has a headdress similar to Elsa Lanchesters Bride.

The Bride. In this obscure film, Baron Charles Frankenstein creates Eva (Jennifer Beals) as a bride for his monster.

What is the story behind The Bride of Frankenstein?

Taking place immediately after the events of the earlier film, it is rooted in a subplot of the original Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Its plot follows a chastened Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to abandon his plans to create life, only to be tempted and finally blackmailed by his old mentor Dr. Pretorius, along with threats from the Monster, into constructing a bride for the Monster.

The preparation to film the sequel began shortly after the premiere of the first film, but script problems delayed the project. Principal photography began in January 1935, with creative personnel from the original returning in front of and behind the camera. Bride of Frankenstein was released to critical and popular acclaim, although it encountered difficulties with some state and national censorship boards. Since its release the films reputation has grown, and it is now frequently considered one of the greatest sequels ever made; many fans and critics consider it to be an improvement on the original, and it has been hailed as Whales masterpiece. In 1998, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, having been deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

Plotedit. In a castle on a stormy night, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron praise Mary Shelley for her story of Frankenstein and his Monster. She reminds them that her intention for writing the novel was to impart a moral lesson, the consequences of a mortal man who tries to play God. Mary says she has more of the story to tell. The scene shifts to the close of the 1931 movie Frankenstein, where villagers gathered around the burning windmill cheer the apparent death of the Monster.

How did the Bride of Frankenstein end?

Henry and Pretorius succeed in following the creation of Man with the creation of Woman (Elsa Lanchester again). But Woman is not happy with Man and backs away from him, hissing in horror and fear. The Monster is despondent. He frees Henry and his wife, and then releases a lever that blows the castle to atoms, thus destroying himself, his bride and Dr. Pretorius.

Well, not quite. In the next film, Son of Frankenstein, we learn that the Monster has managed to survive yet again.