The Bride (1985)

The Bride (1985) - Jennifer Beals

Taglines: A woman born of electricity. A man driven by obsession.

The Bride movie storyline. After the creation of his creature, Dr. Frankenstein researches and creates a perfect woman, Eva, to be the mate of the creature. However, the anxiety of the creature creates havoc in the laboratory that is burnt down and explodes, killing Frankenstein’s assistants Dr. Zahlus and Paulus. Dr. Frankenstein believes the creature died too but he flees to the woods.

Soon he meets and befriends the dwarf Rinaldo, who gives a name to him, Viktor, and invites him to work in a circus in Budapest. Meanwhile Frankenstein and his house keeper Mrs. Baumann (Geraldine Page) teach Eva how to behave and to be independent. One day, Frankenstein introduces Eva to the high-society, telling that she was found amnesic in the woods and has become his protégée. But Frankenstein becomes obsessed of Eva while Viktor and she have a strange connection. What will happen to Eva?

The Bride is a 1985 British-American horror film directed by Franc Roddam and written by Lloyd Fonvielle, based on Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. The film stars Sting as Baron Charles Frankenstein and Jennifer Beals as Eva, a woman he creates in the same fashion as his infamous monster. The film was released theatrically on August 16, 1985 by Columbia Pictures to generally negative reviews from critics and commercial failure, grossing only $3.6 million.

The Bride (1985)

About the Story

The film begins with Baron Charles Frankenstein (Sting), his monster (Clancy Brown), Dr. Zalhus (Quentin Crisp), and his assistant Paulus (Timothy Spall) creating a female mate named Eva (Jennifer Beals) for the monster. Eva (named for the first woman) is physically identical to a human and lacks the deformities of the monster. As such, she is revolted by the monster when he comes to claim her, and rejects him.

This causes the monster to fly into a rage and destroy Frankenstein’s laboratory. Frankenstein, believing himself and Eva to be the only survivors, flees with her back to Castle Frankenstein. He mentions Eva to his friend Clerval, lying that she was a medical case referred to him when she lost her memory after being struck by lightning. He states his intention to make her a perfect human mate, equal to a man. His friend asks if she is beautiful, to which he admits that she is remarkably so.

Later, as the Baron remarks on how intact her mind still is, yet she cannot seem to marry her thoughts to her words, Clerval asks if he intends to educate her on romance as well as other subjects. The Baron seems to be disgusted and states that although Eva has the body of a woman, that she has the mind of a child. He says that in time, he is interested in establishing a love that is equal between a man and a woman. Before his friend rides off, Clerval says that he hopes that Eva does not surprise him with her actions.

The monster, having survived, wanders into the countryside where he befriends a dwarf, Rinaldo (David Rappaport), after he stops children from physically abusing him. During their travels to Budapest, Rinaldo cares for the monster, something that the Baron has never done. As they learn more about one another, Rinaldo eventually gives the monster more humanity by gracing him with a name: Viktor (“he will win”). Over the course of their travels, unknown to both Viktor and Eva, the two share a psychic link in which each often feels what the other feels.

The Bride Movie Poster (1985)

The Bride (1985)

Directed by: Franc Roddam
Starring: Sting, Jennifer Beals, Anthony Higgins, Clancy Brown, David Rappaport, Geraldine Page, Alexei Sayle, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Phil Daniels
Screenplay by: Lloyd Fonvielle
Production Design by: Michael Seymour
Cinematography by: Stephen H. Burum
Film Editing by: Michael Ellis
Costume Design by: Shirley Russell
Set Decoration by: Tessa Davies
Art Direction by: Bryan Graves
Music by: Maurice Jarre
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: August 16, 1985

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