Director: James Whale
Adaptation: John L. Balderston
Based on the novel by: Mary Shelley

Cast
Dr. Frankenstein -- Colin Clive
Elizabeth -- Mae Clarke
Victor -- John Boles
The Monster -- Boris Karloff

Synopsis
Dr. Frankenstein dares to tamper with the delicate balance between life and death by creating a human life form out of once useless and lifeless body parts in this early adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel of the same name. While the doctor has become mad with his power to create, the monster is the one caught up in a tragic search for identity.
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For your first film paper option, choose one of the following topics below and write a 2-3 page paper in the format as outlined in the handout. If you choose to write about this film, the due date for the paper is JULY 21 .

1. Review the list of Gothic elements discussed in class, and, focusing on just a few, discuss those qualities as they pertain to the film. How, exactly, is this film Gothic?

2. Considering that the Romantics all believed in the power of IMAGINATION, in some form or another, how does the film reflect the idea of IMAGINATION (consider that the terms "creation" and "invention" can also be substituted for "imagination")?

3. How is the monster symbolic of mankind? Consider the list of Romantic qualities and how Romantics felt about man, society, etc.

4. If you are familiar with Mary Shelley's novel, then you'll know that there was much more of a look at the meaning of life and that the monster sought identity and answers. Use either the novel or you may even use one of the other Frankenstein movies that are more true to the book (Kenneth Branagh's version, as an example) and contrast that search for identity in the original and how this adaptation has edited that idea out.