Why Couldn't You Let Me Die?

"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me" - Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Growing up, Frankenstein was my favorite novel. The trope of a mad scientist playing God is both bone-chilling and thought-provoking in its exploration of humanity's often violating curiosity. Victor Frankenstein's attempts to defy death delineate a sort of womb envy that bypasses women entirely. A theme I find extremely fascinating.

Over the past few months, I've watched a handful of Frankenstein adaptations and riffs (thank you Tubi!). Of these films were The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), Re-Animator, and Frankenhooker. These were a hoot to watch. Absolute cult classics. While they err more on the comedic side, I found myself drawn to the subtle themes about female autonomy and the male gaze.

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)

"I told you to let me die" - Jan Compton

The defining feature of each of these films for me was the male protagonists and their refusal to respect nature. When faced with the painful reality of death, the male protagonists Bill, Herbert and Dan, and Jeffrey scramble to "fix it" instead of letting it be. To grieve, be humbled at the omnipresence of loss, and accept the unexplainable is to be vulnerable. A state many men try to avoid. There's something almost religious about it.

As someone who was raised Catholic, so much of religion, I think, stems from the fear of being at the mercy of others. Humans hate uncertainty, so we try to assign meaning to everything. Why does love undo us so? Why is death such a necessary evil? 

Instead of accepting that there are some things beyond our control and comprehension, this fear often manifests as domination and control. These men weaponize their intellect and scientific prowess to defy the one inescapable truth of life. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die.

Then there's the issue of bodies.

The Brain That Wouldn't Die and Frankenhooker best capture this phenomenon. Bill and Jeffrey immediately resort to targeting hookers, models, and burlesque dancers to rebuild Jan and Elizabeth's (their fiancées) bodies. They see it as a way to fulfill their ultimate fantasies, choosing body parts as if they're at a meat market. There's a whole montage of Jeffrey measuring and fondling the breasts, thighs, and backsides of his future victims. It's played for laughs, but you can't help but feel gross.

As if the bodies of their lovers weren't enough. In Frankenhooker, before Elizabeth's untimely demise, she's scolded for being chubby and her snacking This foreshadowing makes Jeffrey's search for perfect body parts even more disturbing. Reconstructing Elizabeth and Jan becomes the perfect opportunity to create the ultimate female form. A macabre sex doll for their own pleasure. These endeavors are not labors of love. Rather, they present a challenge for these male protagonists. Can they defy life's greatest feat? Prove male dominance over feminine mystery? Actions not borne from affection, but the desire to subdue.

Re-Animator

"I will not be shacked by the failures of your God" - Herbert West

Love is also knowing how to let go.

Refusing to allow these women to stay dead, there is a deliberate violation of each of their autonomy. You are forced into a body that is no longer yours. No longer a person, but a vessel, an experiment. A grotesque amalgamation doomed to suffer. Your existence isn't a testament to the often transgressive nature of love, but as a vanity project that showcases that these men are as intelligent and mighty as they think they are.

It is the ultimate display of male violence. 

Watching these films terrify me because what's scarier than a man on a power trip? One who thinks he holds the power of life and death in his hands?

Frankenhooker

"I love you, Jeffrey, and we're together again. All of us, together, again" - Elizabeth Shelley

There are fates worse than death, and I hope to never find myself at the mercy of a man who can deliver.

XOXO, Michaela