Gods and Monsters (film)
| Gods and Monsters | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Bill Condon |
| Produced by |
Paul Colichman Gregg Fienberg Mark R. Harris |
| Screenplay by | Bill Condon |
| Based on |
Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Cinematography | Stephen M. Katz |
| Edited by | Virginia Katz |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Lions Gate Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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105 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $6.5 million |
Gods and Monsters is a 1998 British-American drama film that recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director James Whale, whose experience of war in World War I is a central theme. It stars Ian McKellen as Whale, along with Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich and David Dukes. The film was directed and written by Bill Condon, based on Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein.
It won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ian McKellen) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Lynn Redgrave). The film features reconstructions of the filming of Bride of Frankenstein, a movie Whale directed. The title comes from a line in Bride of Frankenstein, in which the character Dr. Pretorius toasts Dr. Frankenstein, "To a new world of gods and monsters!" The story was also been turned into a play of the same title which premiered in London at the Southwark Playhouse in February 2015.
The story opens in the 1950s, after the Korean War; it has been more than a decade since James Whale, director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, has retired. He lives with his long-time housemaid, Hanna, who loyally cares for him but disapproves of his homosexuality. Whale has suffered a series of strokes that have left him fragile and tormented by memories: growing up as a poor outcast, his tragic World War I service, and the filming of The Bride of Frankenstein. Whale slips into his past, and indulges in his fantasies, reminiscing about gay pool parties and also sexually teasing an embarrassed, starstruck fan who comes to interview him. Whale battles depression, at times contemplating suicide, as he realizes his life, his attractiveness, and his health are slipping away.
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Wikipedia