Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is earning rave reviews for its realism and set building. What many might not realise is that the film does not rely heavily on CGI, especially when it comes to the ship. In an interview with Netflix, the filmmaker talked about the practical magic behind the ship.
I’m not gonna do VFX on the ship. I want a real ship because the ship is a character… I didn’t want the audience to go, ‘Oh, it is digital,’ because once you introduce that, it is like a license for people not to believe things.
The ship being real certainly added a charm to the film, and it is a tactic that del Toro might have borrowed from James Cameron. Cameron is famous for the practical magic in his film, especially in Titanic, where the filmmaker famously used over $40 million to build the life-size replica of the RMS Titanic, along with an enormous water tank (via Murat Özbek/ YouTube).
As del Toro explained, the entire interior and exterior of the ship were meticulously crafted after deep research. This is something that Cameron also made sure of, using the original ship’s design to bring it to life in the Academy Award-winning film.
While it is certainly not copying, as del Toro is known for his love for practical effects, both filmmakers’ efforts towards realism and practicality underscore their commitment to their craft.
Guillermo del Toro Wanted Frankenstein to Have an Old Hollywood Movie Vibe
For Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein was a passion project that he had been working towards the entirety of his career. While explaining the behind-the-scenes working of the film to Netflix, the filmmaker remarked that he had lived “with Mary Shelley’s creation all his life“.
Calling it “his bible“, del Toro wanted to put his own spin on the tale and thus put together a very talented crew who could help him bring his vision to life.
I wanted the movie to test the capabilities of every single craft in moviemaking. There are huge sets, huge props, and a complex wardrobe. I wanted it to feel like an old movie that was made in the heyday of Hollywood.
Set in mid-19th-century Europe, the production team, including production designer Tamara Deverell, found an abandoned water tower to make a befitting home for Frankenstein and create his laboratory. This is just one of the many instances when the filmmaker went above and beyond to make his adaptation to life.
He was also consistent in the editing room, finishing up the editing of each day before the next filming began.
These are not isolated ideas that occur at the same time. This is a symphony. You are directing an opera, and you are leading to the same emotional point.
The filmmaker remarks about how important it was to get everything down to the T, from design to costume to locations and music. Every effort he took ultimately ended up giving the film more of a classic old-school Hollywood film without losing its real spirit.
‘Circles’ Play An Important Role in Frankenstein
One detail that fans might have noticed in Frankenstein is the presence of circles. Even the home of the Creature, aka the abandoned tower where Victor brought him to life, was fitted with a hulking circular window.
Those who are aware of the filmmaker’s work, like The Shape of Water and Crimson Peak, might know that it is a common motif in his movies. Production designer Tamara Deverell revealed to Netflix what it means for del Toro:
You’ll see a lot of circle motifs, which, to Guillermo, represent the circle of life, the beginning, the end, the endless ouroboros, the snake eating its tail. It’s a definite theme, and I do my best to incorporate it as many times as I can.
Apart from ‘circles,’ the production also used 3D rendering to visualize every little detail. Well, that is how the film that the filmmaker had been dreaming of making since he was 7 years old came to life.
What are your thoughts about del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelly’s classic? Let us know in the comments below.
Frankenstein is now streaming on Netflix.
