One can see splice as a modern reimagining of Frankenstein.
The contemporary interpretation of *Frankenstein* found in Vincenzo Natali's *Splice*. *Splice* stars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, and Delphine Chanéac on Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast, scientists attempting to splice human and animal DNA. The outcome is *Splice*'s monster Dren, a hybrid with short-order quick aging and horrifying new attribute development. Their main drive seems to be a kind of ambition like to what one finds in *Frankenstein*. Based on Mary Shelley's revolutionary work of the same name, the 1931 film starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, and Boris Karloff likewise emphasizes man's hubris as he attempts to bring a makeshift man to life.
Both movies examine the power and peril of wild science, particularly in the hands of those with a dangerously poor degree of constraint. Both movies criticize the scientists prepared to violate moral standards in the pursuit of discovery. Though many later tales feature the DNA of *Frankenstein*'s fundamental themes, *Splice* specifically investigates many of the same direct ideas as *Frankenstein*. While *Frankenstein* similarly confronts difficult concerns about science and philosophy with a sad creature and unexpected deaths, *Splice* is able to use the looser restrictions of the 21st century to produce a more controversial film.
The 2009 sci-fi horror film *Spice* by Vincenzo Natali had the ideal starting point for a sequel. It never happened after several talks; here's the reason.
Perfectly complementing a classic of the horror genre, *Splice* is a very unforgettable and quite horrific film. *Splice* combined sci-fi with horror to investigate concerns about life and humanity in an era when science could turn individuals into something else entirely. Released in 2010 to solid reviews (but an ultimately poor box office). Speaking to the universal significance of such subjects as *Splice* even draws inspiration from actual life, it is far from the only film to explore curious insights on the nature of life and death using those genres. Actually, some of the most famous ideas in the horror genre have natural link to those same traits.
Particularly, the Dark Castle Entertainment picture shares many similarities with one of the first Universal Monster Movies, which remain a classic item of the pop-culture lexicon even a century after they opened on the big screen. Using that as inspiration for a creative and terrifying monster movie, both movies have primary themes on the power of science and the caution humans should apply around it. Both tales point out the sadness inherent in the warped creations of science and assign guilt to their makers. For a creature-feature double feature, *Splice* is in many respects a modern heir to the classic horror film it pairs ideally with.
The monster created by Dren and Frankenstein turns violent following mistreatment and neglect.
Originally presented as innocent, Frankenstein's Monster and Dren in both *Frankenstein* and *Splice* lashing out at the world leaves a trail of dead bodies. Both finally turn against their creators, however Henry Frankenstein lives through his last meeting while Dren kills Clive. Elsa is pregnant at the same time. In part due to their founders' neglect, which results in their attention being diverted to others, both species end up developing their dismal outlooks. Given both Dren's and the Monster's young demeanor, the scientist in both movies at first happy with their manufactured child.
Under their respective "parents," both the Monster and Dren are finally regarded as monsters—restricted against their will. This results in the creatures being driven to engage in violent acts of rebellion, therefore causing the extensive death of their particular third actions. *Splice* especially plays on this factor since Elsa's originally maternal bond with Dren is progressively twisted and violent mostly due of Elsa's increasing mistrust and abuse of Dren. Although it's debatable if it was in their nature to strike out so violently, *Splice* and *Frankenstein* both highlight their separate rampages resulting from the mistakes of their creators.
The Lead Characters Of Splice & Frankenstein Are Blinded By Ambition
There's a case to be made that the true villains of *Frankenstein* and *Splice* aren’t the monsters themselves. Although they commit horrifying acts of brutality across the film, both the Monster and Dren are acting on natural instinct. Their lack of full reason and logic leads them to act on a more animalistic or childish perspective. It’s not an excuse for their actions, but rather an explanation. It is instead their creators that the respective films deem responsible for the bloodshed. The scientists in *Frankenstein* and *Splice* suffer from delusions of grandeur, and their resulting poor decisions turn their creations into monsters.
Henry is driven by ambition to prove his brilliance, lashing out when his sanity is called into question and openly comparing himself to God. This leads him to willfully ignore the genuine moral questions raised by his experiments and leads to the creation of the Monster. Clive and Elsa are initially focused on smaller creatures, dubbed Fred and Ginger, for the sake of harvesting the resulting unique proteins. When they broach the idea of human/animal hybrids, they are told directly by their employers to refrain from using human subjects. Their decision to chart ahead anyway leads to a great deal of pain and suffering.
The Scientists In Splice & Frankenstein Are Meddling In Creation
*Frankenstein* and *Splice* are both ultimately about one of the great lingering questions of life, and if there is a way for humanity to truly improve itself. While *Frankenstein* reflects on the possibility of overcoming death and *Splice* is concerned with mutating humans to more adaptable to the world around them, both movies build off the same sense of hubris that drives their respective scientists. Neither film is necessarily subtle with this central theme, either.
Henry Frankenstein is portrayed as a brilliant man driven to the brink by his obsessions, leading to the creation of a creature that kills several people. A reoccurring question in *Splice* highlights Clive and Elsa's willingness to forgo restraint and reason: "What's the worst that could happen?." That "worst" ends up being the death of Clive and others, as well as Dren's assault on Elsa that leaves her pregnant. In both films, meddling in the building blocks of life only leads to ruin, with *Frankenstein* only finding solace in Henry learning his lesson and committing himself to his wife. *Splice* is a modern tragic take on the same themes, showcasing the same dangers of untamed ambition and reckless science that *Frankenstein* highlighted almost a century ago.
