Since its publication in 1818, Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking novel Frankenstein
has borne a seemingly infinite number of cinematic versions, and from that, some
exceptional film music. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is the latest, and
Alexandre Desplat’s score is the perfect accompaniment. Desplat’s score instantly
evokes del Toro and Shelley’s world in the opening, which introduces the
hauntingly beautiful seven-note motif for the real antagonist, Victor Frankenstein.
The birth of the creature is treated as a subversion of previous adaptations, with a
lyrical and searching tone that is tender and delicate, like the birth of a child. A fournote motif that repeats with variations represents the creature itself, played tenderly
on plucked strings with solo piano as counterpoint. However, that initially bright and
questioning tone shifts as the creature experiences its life as Victor demands, and
the tragedy of the creature and the story come into focus. Desplat’s score
transitions into a deeply melancholy mood as both creator and creation descend
into their own personal hell, albeit with less fury and more reflection and
introspection, with a true emotional resonance.
Frankenstein ends with a glorious reprisal of its themes, a showcase of Alexandre
Desplat’s talent and the inspiration of Guillermo Del Toro and Mary Shelley. It’s a
work that stands proudly alongside previous musical iterations and is another
evolution in the ongoing collaboration between Del Toro and Desplat. Gorgeous
and thoughtful, Frankenstein is much more than just the sum of its parts. - Charlie
Brigden
...OUT 6 FEBRUARY 2026!
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