As usually happens every time a feature film, animated series or any other type of product is released that adapts one of the great classics of universal literature - and it's not that there are few, precisely -, debates about fidelity to the source material and the quality of the final product are the order of the day, and they tend to be quite intense and vehement in general terms.

Therefore, there is nothing better than having an expert on the subject to enlighten the rest of us, and in the case of the, in my opinion, fantastic 'Frankenstein' by Guillermo Del Toro, the people of Variety have decided to have the opinion of Julie Carlson, professor of English at the University of Santa Barbara and specialist in both the British Romantic period and the Wollstonecraft-Godwin-Shelley family.

Very good, but...

In general terms, Carlson has enjoyed the Mexican's work, stating that he felt "a true affection for the book and for the brilliance of Mary Shelley" and underlining his fidelity "to the marked narrative structure, to the way in which Victor and the Creature tell their own story and to the language of the book." distancing feature film and novel in the lyrical aspect of the monstermuch more present in Del Toro's vision.

However, and this is evident even to those of us who have only read the novel once, the new film displays less social criticism, leaving aside violence against women and oppression of the marginalizedall without refusing to inject readings about war, capitalism and masculinity into the story. This is how Carlson explains it.

"I think the film reduces the strong component of social criticism that the novel had. Its approach is more structural: it talks about war, militarism, capitalism... which is fine, they are topics that continue to concern us. But in the book - and in other adaptations - the compassion towards the Creature is born from the rejection he suffers for his appearance. It is a story about how others perceive you. The film does not address that as much, especially at the beginning. In the novel, Victor flees in terror as soon as the Creature opens his eyes; here, in Instead, he takes care of her for a while before leaving in frustration.

It is not faithful to the book on that point, but it is true in the exploration of motherhood, fatherhood and responsibility towards your “children”, be they babies or books. Frankenstein It has often been read as an allegory about the oppressed; The film is not as explicit about female oppression or slavery, although those themes are latent."

Another of the great differences, which the expert has praised, is the extra humanity that is given to the Creature by choosing do not show your violent acts with as much frequency and detail as in the novel.

"I like that Del Toro humanizes the Creature and enhances face-to-face communication. He's almost reminiscent of Emmanuel Levinas: when you see the other person's face, you can't kill him anymore. But he also avoids some questions of responsibility that Shelley raised even at such a young age. In the film, everyone tries to shoot him, but we're not asked to fear it. And we should fear him. Not because of his ugliness, but because Shelley suggests that every creation released into the world carries fear."

Now, where does Guillermo Del Toro's film stand for Carlson compared to the countless productions based on Mary Shelley's manuscript? This is your final verdict.

"It comes closer to the complexity of Shelley's work. It divides and frames the narrative just like the novel, and is not really a horror film, but a gothic work. Other versions also explore big questions, but do so in a more linear way, focusing only on one aspect. This one tries to cover several levels of the original - although not always successfully - I would say that it is more faithful than most, and seeks to honor not only the book, but also Mary Shelley and her entire circle: Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and company."

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