Mary Shelley

Filled with dark scenes and heavenly dialogue, Mary Shelley illustrates the life of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin beautifully. Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, played by Elle Fanning, was one of the world’s most famous gothic novelists and was the author of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The film follows her life and the realities that influenced Frankenstein.

Shelley was a contemporary woman and believed in many principled ideas. Her parents were of high literary stature and she followed in their footsteps. She was brought up in an atmosphere of social and political transformation. Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Shelley’s father was an author of radical social commentary titled Political Justice. It would be only right that Shelley herself pushed the boundaries on what was seen as the 19th-century norm. Fanning’s performance is spot on and portrays Shelley in a way which Mary Shelley fans would imagine her to be.

Shelley completed many literary works during her life but she is most well known for Frankenstein, which the film mainly focuses on. Her hardships – including loss of family members and children – are touched on, but not to its fullest extent.

The film’s aesthetics are phenomenal. From cemeteries to dark and dreary nights, the film pays homage to Shelley’s gothic masterpiece. The murky residences and high profile estates are depicted exquisitely and the overall film sets are amazing. 

Although the film does not hold complete attention to Shelley’s literary genius, we do see how Frankenstein came to be and what heavily influenced her fantastic tale. Mary Shelley is filled with romance, emotional highs and lows and strong themes of feminism and women’s empowerment.

Mary Shelley 
In cinemas Thursday, 5 July 2018