Frankenstein was looking for a companion, but The Bride fell in love with vengeance. In the upcoming film “The Bride!” director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s mission was to give a voice to this woman, Frankenstein’s bride, who influenced culture ever since her appearance in the film “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935).
In the 1935 film, the bride’s character doesn’t say a word. Audiences can expect none of this silent suffering in this upcoming film. There will still be suffering, but this time it will be loud, accompanied by romance, humanity and monstrosity.
“Elsa Lanchester is in the movie as the bride for like two minutes, and she doesn’t speak one word, and yet she’s made this major impact on our culture,” Gyllenhaal said. “I mean, the way I got the sort of idea to work on this project was from a huge tattoo that this guy had of the Bride of Frankenstein on his forearm. She’s made a real impact, but she doesn’t speak. I felt it was an interesting jumping off point, but it didn’t offer all that much to work with, except for the blank space where she kind of could have been.”
Frankenstein’s Monster, as a character, has faced the opposite predicament. For over 200 years, Frankenstein has been interpreted and reimagined by artists.
However, what makes this version of Frankenstein’s Monster, played by Christian Bale, stand out is the deep humanity behind his abnormal appearance.
“With him living for as long as he does, having the look that he does, and having committed the atrocious crimes that he committed when he was a child, giant but still a child. So, we see it’s someone who is living in a very extreme fashion, and then his loneliness is really extreme as well,” Bale said, “And then completely unexpected, all he wants is just someone who he can maybe hold their hand, and he ends up getting the most passionate affair and communion that he’s ever had in his life. It sets him a blaze, allows him to live again without completely being obsessed with his past.”
The Bride of Frankenstein, played by Jessie Buckley, is on a mission for justice, while Frankenstein’ Monster is searching for love. As their missions become tangled together, they find much more than they expected.
“What if we reinvigorate this woman to ask the questions, to seek the truth, to look for a love that can hold all of who she is as a woman? And vice versa, for this man who’s been given the identity of a monster who actually is just desperate for love in himself,” Buckley said.
“The Bride!” tells a story that is not limited to horror or romance. It is also about a woman reclaiming her own voice and helping others find theirs, both in the film and in the audience.
“I think that feeling of trying to define yourself for real, to really get a sense of who you are, not entirely separate from the world you live in, but like really trying to listen to your own mind is always scary. I do think that the bride after having been someone you know before she’s killed, who wants to say no and can’t figure out how to do it, wants to say a lot of things that she can’t figure out how to say,” Gyllenhaal said. “When she is brought back to life, she’s almost a superhero. She doesn’t have the same filter that all of us have. She’s able to say, risk, express and need things that we, at least in my generation, are scared to want, are afraid to express, and that’s very scary for people. It’s scary for people to encounter something that’s new always, and it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have to encounter it.”
This film aims to make audiences think differently. Whether through murder or dance sequences, every element is driven by purpose and commitment.
“It’s kind of a possession, which you’ll understand if you’ve seen the film, and one that then ends up sparking a revolution.” Bale said.
After almost a hundred years of silence, The Bride has a lot to say. Audiences can take the risk and join this revolution at their local cinemas starting March 6.
Vivien Noe C is a staff reporter at The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected]
