CW: Sexual Assault
Female Suffering in The Bride (1985) and Frankenstein
In The Bride (1985), Dr. Baron Charles Frankenstein comes from a wealthy family. He is well educated, well dressed, and well
CW: Sexual Assault
Female Suffering in The Bride (1985) and Frankenstein
In The Bride (1985), Dr. Baron Charles Frankenstein comes from a wealthy family. He is well educated, well dressed, and well spoken. From a young age, Frankenstein had been obsessed with science, specifically reanimating dead bodies. However creating life from death comes with consequences. Frankenstein creates a hideous male monster, and a gorgeous female companion. The companion rejects the monster immediately, causing him to angrily flea. The monster (later named Viktor) runs off into the woods, where he meets a dwarf. The two become best friends, and walk to Budapest together to join the circus. It’s an interesting plot line with a lot of implications about disability and exploitation, as well as vigilante justice and revenge. It also supports an ableist notion that disabled people have to personify their disability in order to achieve capitalist success. It’s important to note that Viktor and the companion have a connection, can feel with the other is in pain, and seem to cross paths a suspicious amount of times. The phenomena is never explained in the film.
Frankenstein and the companion, who he named Eva (after the first woman) stay behind in Frankenstein’s home after the monster leaves. To Frankenstein, Eva is a completely blank slate. She has no memories, and can barely speak or walk. She is essentially a child in the body of an adult. Frankenstein determines that he can mold her into whatever he wants, and shape her into the perfect woman, whatever that means in his view. If you think you know where this is going, you’re probably right. The 1985 film The Bride extends and plays into the romanticisation of female suffering in ways Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein had only begun to. Frankenstein’s anger towards women begins subtly, but cumulates into a sexual assault attempt against Eva. In addition, the movie concludes with Eva realizing that only Viktor can teach her what it means to be “alive,” and the two run off into the sunset together. The cycle would repeat again, with Viktor projecting his desires onto Eva, and molding her into his ideal woman.
“Frankenstein: Think about it, Clerval, she could be made into anything.
Clerval: The most pliant of mistresses!
Frankenstein: I might make the new woman, Clerval, independent, free, as bold and as proud as a man. A woman equal to ourselves.
Clerval, laughing: Charles, please.”The Bride (1985) 20:57 – 21:19
Frankenstein wants to craft Eva into an independent woman, and is shown in this scene in direct contrast to Clerval, who implies he’d be better off making her a sex slave. Thanks to the immense resources at his disposal, Frankenstein and his maid, Mrs. Baumann, quickly teach Eva to be a woman of culture. There is a very uncomfortable scene before this process begins, in which Eva approaches Frankenstein while completely naked. She slowly paces around him, and eventually sits down at his side. Mrs. Baumann sees this and scolds her, telling her to put some clothes on. Frankenstein defends Eva, and has her dressed in his university robes. Frankenstein is clearly trying to ignore her nudity, however the lighting and camera angles in the scene don’t allow the audience to do that; at one point her ass is literally illuminated by the fire. Of this scene, The Chicago Tribune says, “As for Beals` one fleeting nude scene, it’s a mess, too, inasmuch as we can clearly see that she was doubled by a model. In the full-length shot, the model`s head is always hidden” (Siskel, 1985). Audiences are supposed to be amazed by Eva’s pure beauty, reducing her to little more than an object. Frankenstein then instructs Mrs. Baumann to teach Eva the “ways of polite society.”
Throughout the next several weeks, Frankenstein teaches Eva how to speak, read, ride horses, and converse with his fellow aristocrats. He teaches her to be strong, argumentative, and empowered — like a man. Despite this, he hardly lets Eva out of his sight. Anytime she goes off on her own, or attempts to assert her independence, he yells and belittles her.
“Frankenstein: And what is that ocean if not man’s boundless imagination? Keats’ Prometheus is a case –
Eva: – Shelley’s Prometheus.
Frankenstein (condescending): Keats, my dear, if you don’t mind.
Eva: John Keats never wrote anything even remotely –
Frankenstein: Don’t interrupt us!
Eva exits the room
Clerval: The problem with free women, Charles, is that they’re free to despise us. It’s a risk that I find unacceptable.
Eva returns, and throws a copy of Shelley’s Prometheus next to Frankenstein”The Bride (1985) 1:34:27 – 1:35:01
Despite raising her to expect the same treatment as a man, the moment she starts acting like one Frankenstein immediately disapproves. Eva was correct, but Frankenstein refused to listen to her. Eva’s brief interruption was not meant to show distaste towards the two men, rather to correct an honest mistake. Frankenstein took this as an insult to his intelligence. Eva had b