The Power of the Diegetic Paradigm: How the Cinematography of “Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein” Reinforces Its Pre-Text On-Camera

Abstract

The film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by Kennet Branagh strongly emphasizes the social, political and cultural concerns of the author Mary Shelley. Branagh employs cinematography to refer to the pre-text and its main ideas implicitly or explicitly. His adaptation, indeed, differs from the plot in the novel, however, Branagh still manage to reinforce Mary Shelley’s discussion in her novel thanks to semiotics. In this case, Branagh expresses what he grasps from the novel by creating his own imagery through cinematographic elements such as camera angles and gaffing. With the help of cinematography, Branagh remains loyal to Mary Shelley’s novel since he extends Shelley’s concerns and discusses them according to his own time. Even though the plot changes, which cannot be a concern in adaptation theory, Branagh still reflects Mary Shelley’s characters remaining loyal to the origin, and he sets camera and lighting in harmony with the characterization and setting of the novel.