Del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ gets 15-minute ovation at Venice

Guillermo del Toro’s highly anticipated adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday evening to overwhelming acclaim, earning a 15-minute standing ovation that brought both the director and star Jacob Elordi to tears. The Netflix film, which has been a lifelong passion project for the Oscar-winning director, marks his return to Venice seven years after The Shape of Water won the Golden Lion.

The $120 million adaptation stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the creature, presenting what del Toro describes as a “sad, sensitive creature craving affection and knowledge” rather than the traditional monster with “a flat head, neck bolts and heavy boots”.reuters

A Human Story Over Horror

Del Toro emphasized during Saturday’s press conference that his vision deliberately moves away from conventional horror tropes. “A lot of the interpretations of the creature visually are almost like accident victims, and I wanted beauty,” the director told reporters at the Lido. The film focuses on the tragic relationship between creator and creation, with Isaac noting, “How do you live with a broken heart, and what do you do with a broken heart? Often cruelty happens out of broken hearts”.reuters

The director, known for blending fantasy and horror in films like Pan’s Labyrinth, has described Frankenstein as his “Bible” and revealed he’s “lived with Mary Shelley’s creation all my life”. He built elaborate practical sets rather than relying on CGI, with co-star Christoph Waltz joking, “CGI is for losers”.imdb

Not an AI Allegory

Despite the contemporary relevance of themes around creation and technology, del Toro was clear that his adaptation is not intended as commentary on artificial intelligence. “Artificial intelligence I’m not afraid of. I’m afraid of natural stupidity, which is much more abundant,” he said. When asked about modern monsters, Elordi quipped, “Men in suits,” with del Toro adding, “Very well-tailored ones”.reuters

The film will receive a limited theatrical release on October 17 before arriving on Netflix on November 7. Frankenstein is competing alongside 21 other films for the Golden Lion, which will be awarded on September 6. The movie represents one of three Netflix titles at Venice, joining Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite and Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly.reuters