After studying the novel in high school AP English, I am no stranger to the dark tale of Frankenstein. We'd covered all the bases; Mary Shelley's fear of pregnancy, the legendary ghost-story competition at Lord Byron's castle. Not to mention all of the dark imagery that comes from being in a mysterious castle or mansion. However, gone are the days of cheesy black and white films, the monster holding a woman high over his head, teeth bared in a silly grimace with the accompanying, "UNNNHHHHH."
So how does a genre like gothic horror survive?
When I look at the most recent films and novels that have gained popularity along that vein of darkness and mystery, I suppose the qualities of the "gothic" have still managed to weave themselves into the woodwork. Some of the best gothic films in my opinion are the ones that have picked up the dark qualities in the novel Frankenstein, without overdoing it on the drama like in the old films. And a lot of these step into other genres, kind of allowing the "gothicness" to be in feel, rather than control the overall look of a film or hitting your over the head with overt themes.
Filmmakers (such as Tim Burton) have even managed to weave gothic aspects into films aimed at younger audiences. Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland as well as his original work, Corpse Bride are probably my two favorite examples because they incorporate a gothic feel without being dark to the point of feeling like a "horror." Burton's style is an odd hybrid of childishness, and darkness. There's a definite creepiness, the essence of a period piece and different time period, but the colors are stronger, there are lighter moments, and it's all woven together to create a style extraordinarily his own. I think the surge of popularity in darker films will keep the aura of gothic horror alive as its aspects weave in and out of other genres.
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