Inhalte(1)
Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the increasingly desperate and vengeful Creature determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal. (National Theatre Live)
Kritiken (3)
Zum ersten Mal hat mir Boyles Oberflächlichkeit überhaupt nichts ausgemacht. Die Produktion ist bewundernswert konservativ und trägt bis auf ein paar "Boyle“ Fehlschritte (Lokomotive, Vögel) lediglich technisch präzise und vollends virtuose Kreationen mit einigen nahezu genialen Momenten, in denen es Boyle mit einem Minimum an Ausdrucksmitteln gelingt, grandiose Dinge auszudrücken, welche die Wissenschaft und Kunst auch noch nach Jahrhunderten in Gang halten. Ohne zu übertreiben, ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich mir den besten Boyle im Kino ansehen gehen würde und dass es eine Theater-Live-Übertragung sein würde. Allerdings habe ich zum ersten Mal überhaupt das Werk dieses verspielten Effektmachers mit einem teuflischen Kloß im Hals verlassen. Übrigens, Benedict Cumberbatch ist ein Gott ... Jetzt ist´s definitiv.
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Boyle loves The Bride of Frankenstein perhaps even more than the original, but despite the monstrously overdone sets, effects, and (partially) excellent ideas, he didn't manage to escape its shadow. He only slides on the surface, "Hollywood" style. The reason why he doesn't slip once during the entire movie is because of the central duo's performances (alternating with Cumberbatch as the monster and Miller as Frankenstein). And though there is absolutely nothing to reproach them for, that cannot be said of the many supporting roles headed by an amateurish Jamaican in the role of the father; I find the casting of the other way round feels more appropriate. Boyle didn't discover America or change theater as such, he just staged a good play well and confirmed that Cumberbatch, Miller and Underworld are brilliant while he's not.
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When the rumors don't lie. Even if National Theatre Live existed for no other reason than to provide us with a fused acting duality, it would be worth it a hundred times over. Frankenstein not only surpasses the boundaries of theater in the version I saw, with Benedict Cumberbatch as The Creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor, it cuts into the viewer with brute force, lightens up in unexpected places, visually captivates, and leaves me speechless the next day. The most intoxicating journey from purity to darkness, thanks not only to the main performance, but also the elevation of an eternal story to poignant immortality.
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