Gods and Monsters: The Story of a Gardener, a Homosexual, a Monster and a Swimming Pool

An old and almost forgotten classic that never went mainstream, Gods and Monsters is the story of finding humanity in oneself. Flying in the face of time, it remains poignant today. The true story of humanity laid to waste and regained is told through the rememberings of James Whale, director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.

Clayton played by Brendan Fraser and Hanna played by Lynn Redgrave supported and carried the story along by adding parallel and contradicting influences. Ian McKellan played James Whale convincingly. McKellan portrayed his character in the most loving way. His portrayal made me want to adopt His Waywardness, James Whale. The charming, witty, eccentricities of Whale made me cheer for him again and again.

Whale, who grew up in grinding third world like poverty, is forced to involuntarily remember the past as a result of brain damage caused by a stroke. Throughout the movie memories of World War II swim through Whales brain threatening to drown his soul. Besides his memories his housekeeper Hanna accompanies Whale. Hanna disapproves of Whales past life and condemns him to hell several times. However, her love for Whale is obvious. I can only imagine Hanna's love is a reflection of Whale's pure humanity which everyone can see except Whale himself. Hanna's constant condemnations escalate when Whale befriends the gardener whom Hanna deems as morally suspicious.

Hanna's contradictions are held in check only by the parallels of the gardener Clayton Boon. Clayton bridges the gap between Whales memories of the past and the present. He is the thread that holds this movie together. Clayton, Whale, and Frankenstein all seem to be twisted into one person in a surreal way. By that I mean they seem to be connected by their subconscious minds. Whale seems convinced that Clayton can save him.

This desire is expressed through a dream scene in which Clayton gives Whale a new brain in Frankenstein fashion. Clayton even resembles Frankenstein in a way. Many of their meetings are based around Boon sitting for a Frankenstein like portrait. While Boon is watching Bride of Frankenstein he makes a connection between Whale and the monster. The connection is subtle as are most of the tropes in this movie. The parallel is made by Boon's comment "(the monster) is lonely, he wants a friend". It was definatly a description of Whale.

Gods and Monsters employs the audience to think about every word. It doesn't waste a single line. The recollection of Whale's career left me reeling with trope piled on trope. The movie intended to be the pinnacle of Whale's career was to be about World War II. The very thing Whale spent his life running from. The moment Whale decided to turn and face this awful past it destroyed him. The studio butchered the movie. The failure ruined Whale.

This movie was put together beautifully. The scenes flowed into one another like liquid. A great deal of credit is owed to Christopher Bram who wrote the novel Father of Frankenstein that the movie was based on. Bill Condon directed the movie and wrote the screenplay. Kudos! Gods and monsters also carried the impressive name of Clive Barker, executive producer. Gods and Monsters was a deep, but subtle story inside a story. It was a trip into the past by way of the future. It was simply a trip. Whale himself could not have directed it any better. Kudos!