Students will be evaluating film techniques as well as comparing and contrasting film to text. for the Visible Thinking part of the exercise, we will watch two different film interpretations of the creation scene in Frankenstein. They will be looking for a total of ten things they notice (See) in each clip; however, they have to find two in each of the following categories: Characterization, Lighting, Set Design, Sound/Music, Costumes/Make-Up.
The first is from the Universal Films 1931 production starring Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein (notice the name change) and Boris Karloff as the creature (on a side note, Boris Karloff’s– whose real name was William Henry Pratt– great grand-nephew lives here in Rochester).
NOTE: the YouTube link is to one person’s channel, and the videos all play when going to this link. The one I used in class is the four minute piece at clip 3. I am saving Gene Wilder for when we do parody!
The second is from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as Victor Frankenstein, with Robert De Niro as the Creature.
After watching both clips, students shared what they saw in each of the five categories with a partner. They then went on to write three things they THINK about how the clips reflect events in the novel, followed by three things they WONDER about how the clips reflect the events in the novel. They must keep in mind as they write what they think and wonder that they are going to be asked to write a comparison/contrast piece for the film clips and the novel.
Students were then given two different colored Post-Its for SEE/THINK/WONDER; one color that related to the Universal film, and another for the Branagh version. We then shared aloud and posted them in the front of the room on a large poster paper. Once all students had the opportunity to share, we discussed the major similarities and differences between Hollywood and Shelley’s work. They then went on to work on their writing pieces.
Binders Full of Evidence 