Maggie King
English
Film and Book Essay
Beauty and Reality
At first glance the similarities between the novel Frankenstein and the film Stepford Wives may seem far fetched. One is presumably about a monstrous creature while the other beautiful perfection. However, when taking a more analytical approach, it is quite clear of the commonalities they share and the message being conveyed. More often than not, initial reactions of beauty are veils to a reality not easily recognized. Through different elements of lighting and scene setting, the audience’s interpretations are influenced into believing certain truths about the characters, shedding light on their shortcomings as well as their strengths.
Perception of beauty is for some an obvious encounter. Usually when one sees a physically appealing person the desire to believe their personality matches that, increases. In the film, Stepford Wives, a young woman and her family move to an isolated community in Connecticut to get a fresh start to their seemingly fallen apart lives. Once there, the outward persona of perfection and allure are illuminated by the heavenly looking lighting and flawless women who reside there. To an outsider this environment is beyond comparison, yet the darkness that it holds erodes away through the abnormal behaviors the so called perfect women mask.
In Frankenstein the concept is very much alike. The setting paints a picture of mystery and darkness that already sways the reader into believing the story to be that of a horror. This creature that is created out of one man’s madness and one author’s imagination, possesses qualities distinguished as a monster and outcast. Causing terror and killing innocent, Frankenstein is quickly depicted as a vicious threat to society. It would be easy to dismiss any further exploration in the meaning of the tale, however as stated perviously, what is so clear to the eyes can be so false in reality.
How one interprets Stepford Wives is predominantly based on the angelic exterior the woman broadcast. A scene in the movie shows a group of debutante ladies prancing around in preppy knee length dresses, while doing aerobics. As odd as this sounds, the thought that these women could possibly be robots would never cross the viewers mind. The influence of the lighting validates this unparalleled world. It quickly becomes apparent there is more to these ladies than meets the eye and the peculiar actions that can not be rivaled, are the result of one’s desire to create ultimate beauty.
Paralleled, Frankenstein is a product of one mans attempts to recreate. His loneliness and somewhat erotic behavior lead him to generate a savage like creature with more depth than acknowledged. As the story continues, Frankenstein sheds his hard facade to reveal his longing for companionship and acceptance. What society sees on the outside is a monster incapable of feeling, when in reality, expresses the same emotions that would constitute as a beautiful part of the human condition. The yearning for perfection and acceptance not just outwardly, has been a constant battle men and women have faced since the beginning of time.
Through many mediums, this notion can be uncovered. In a book such as Frankenstein, for the reader to understand the fact that there is more to the creature than expected, one would have to fully engage in the context being presented. On the other hand, in the film Stepford Wives, this concept can be understood through the visual aspects of lighting, script, and sound that guides the viewers interpretation of the movie. The radiance of the film easily portrays a false beauty, while the mystique of the novel hides the true.
Sometimes the deeper one looks into the light, the darker situations can become. Although the Stepford Wives depict a flawless community, the beauty of their appearance is tarnished by the selfish motives of perfection. Frankenstein is identified with horror and abnormality, yet possesses something that the Stepford Wives do not, and that is the inner beauty of true emotion. The translation of Frankenstein is not completely the same as the one in Stepford Wives, but is the same idea that beauty is not necessarily correlated outward and inwardly remains constant. Through the using of different mediums, comparing the two, holds logical to the notion that what is seen on the outside is not always the reality of the situation. The film Stepford Wives and the novel Frankenstein share qualities not simply seen, yet definitely there when analyzing the true beauty of what we create.
