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It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein

Name: It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
Director: Richard Brown
Released: 1994
Duration: 97 min

Representation Score

6.3/10

Good

1994

Director

Richard Brown

Runtime

97 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This documentary serves as a historical survey of a classic Western literary and cinematic cliché. It emphasizes film historiography and the preservation of the existing cinematic canon over disrupting social hierarchies. While interviews allow for various professional voices, the content remains tied to the historical limitations of the films analyzed. The focus is on the evolution of a specific mythos rather than contemporary social advocacy. Ultimately, the film acts as a scholarly retrospective. It engages with themes of the 'other' through the lens of the monster but lacks a modern focus on neurodivergence or specific identity politics.

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Category Breakdown

Does It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The documentary looks at the evolution of the Frankenstein myth through various film adaptations but doesn't focus specifically on LGBTQ+ roles or identities.

How does It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein portray gender?

Fair

Interviews feature a variety of professional viewpoints from industry figures. However, the narrative does not explicitly address traditional gender roles or hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein?

Limited

The film mainly highlights the Western cinematic tradition. Clips from early 20th-century films show the historical and social contexts of those times.

How does It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores the monster as a cultural symbol of the 'other.' It focuses on the scholarly appreciation of film history rather than critiquing Western norms.

Does It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein include disability representation?

Fair

The Frankenstein myth is a foundational narrative about physical differences. The film provides commentary on these clichés but doesn't give characters with disabilities much ability to act.

Present on Screen

Provides a platform for diverse professional perspectives through interviews.
Examines the monster as a cultural symbol of the 'other'.
Offers a scholarly look at how different filmmakers interpret the creature.

Limited or Absent

Lacks a contemporary focus on neurodivergence or active disability advocacy.
Does not explicitly address traditional gender roles or hierarchies.
Primarily reflects the Western cinematic canon rather than diverse global perspectives.

Official Synopsis

Mary Shelley created a monster in 1818, and writers, actors and filmmakers haven't been able to get enough of it ever since. The history of the creature on and off the screen includes clips from Thomas Edison's 1910 filmization to Kenneth Branagh's 1994 treatment, plus interviews with Robert De Niro, Mel Brooks, Roger Corman and others. Hosted by Roger Moore; narrated by Eli Wallach.

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