I find the Creature/Monster a really interesting character in both the novel and film adaptations as he is so complex. In adaptations across the years he has been shown in so many different ways that there is no way to pinpoint an exact way that he 'should' look. Furthermore he is seen as the villain in the novel, whereas I see him as a victim- a victim of circumstance. He was brought into the world by the work of Frankenstein, so his actions are the result of the behaviour of his creator. Being left to raise himself without a caring parent mirror's his creator's own upbringing, as he lost his mother, making it seem as though it is a never-ending cycle of neglect with the events in the book being the result of this.
In comparison to some of the portrayals of the Creature in popular culture as a very visible monstrosity, I want my portrayal to have a human element - showing him as a normal man with some very feint scarring. In the novel, Shelley never mentions anything about the Creature having any disfigurement of the face, just that the his skin appears slightly stretched which is probably due to the lack of moisture as a result of being made from the parts of dead people. As the entire look is set in the early Victorian times, the styling and hair needs to reflect this. I want the hair to have a deep side parting, slicked to create a proper look but with the rest of the hair being somewhat messy to create a juxtaposition between the two. I think that this will be symbolic of his want to be a proper functioning member of society but because of his upbringing he won't be able to. Finally for the styling, I wanted it to seem as though he is wearing what he has been able to find on his travels so it may not fit him properly or be in the best condition. I have stained a shirt in tea (see my previous post 'Tea-dying a shirt) which is quite large in size and I think will create a rugged appearance for him as he will have had to sleep rough and in the same clothes for a long time.
I think that because my character design for the Creature doesn't have that Monstrous look incorporated into it, I hope that if it was part of a TV series or a Film the audience would feel sympathy for him because he is just as human as them. However my worry is that they would find his character boring because there is a lack of fear and monstrosity in his characterisation, which is what modern audiences seem to crave when it comes to Monsters in modern culture. I think that due to the impact of horror on modern culture and the availability of it in our society we are always looking for ways to be scared and I don't think my portrayal of the Creature will do that. This could either be a detrimental or positive thing for the character as he will be seen in a new light but he could be seen as boring as a result.
In comparison to some of the portrayals of the Creature in popular culture as a very visible monstrosity, I want my portrayal to have a human element - showing him as a normal man with some very feint scarring. In the novel, Shelley never mentions anything about the Creature having any disfigurement of the face, just that the his skin appears slightly stretched which is probably due to the lack of moisture as a result of being made from the parts of dead people. As the entire look is set in the early Victorian times, the styling and hair needs to reflect this. I want the hair to have a deep side parting, slicked to create a proper look but with the rest of the hair being somewhat messy to create a juxtaposition between the two. I think that this will be symbolic of his want to be a proper functioning member of society but because of his upbringing he won't be able to. Finally for the styling, I wanted it to seem as though he is wearing what he has been able to find on his travels so it may not fit him properly or be in the best condition. I have stained a shirt in tea (see my previous post 'Tea-dying a shirt) which is quite large in size and I think will create a rugged appearance for him as he will have had to sleep rough and in the same clothes for a long time.
I think that because my character design for the Creature doesn't have that Monstrous look incorporated into it, I hope that if it was part of a TV series or a Film the audience would feel sympathy for him because he is just as human as them. However my worry is that they would find his character boring because there is a lack of fear and monstrosity in his characterisation, which is what modern audiences seem to crave when it comes to Monsters in modern culture. I think that due to the impact of horror on modern culture and the availability of it in our society we are always looking for ways to be scared and I don't think my portrayal of the Creature will do that. This could either be a detrimental or positive thing for the character as he will be seen in a new light but he could be seen as boring as a result.
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