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Movie Scientists: Beyond Their Time
Fathom
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| Seminar Introduction |
 | | American Film Institute |
In one of the most familiar scenes from the cinema, Dr. Frankenstein exclaims, "It's Alive!" as a bolt of lightning both animates his monster and sets off a disastrous spark that eventually ignites an angry mob against the god-playing scientist. Today, when artificial hearts, limbs and clones are common subjects of the news, the depictions of early-movie scientists often seem crude. During Hollywood's golden era, films such as Frankenstein offered a glimpse into a world of science beyond what was known at that time. Such films offer viewers today an interesting look at the depiction of the scientist within that era, as well as a look into the argument of what happens when the scientist attempts to interfere with nature.
In this seminar from the American Film Institute, Patricia King Hanson analyzes several key science fiction and horror films from the 1930s and 40s. Through such films as Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Island of Lost Souls, Hanson provides a filmographic analysis of the depiction of "biogenetic" research--the creation and altering of living organisms--on the big screen.
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| Learning Objectives |
- Identify four films that depict scientists conducting biogenetic research.
- Compare and contrast the differing depictions of the good scientist to the bad scientist in the films discussed.
- List some of the greatest obstacles the movie scientists faced in their experiments.
- List the literary origins for the films discussed, and describe how the films differed from their sources.
- Compare and contrast the depiction of the scientific experiments portrayed in the film to the real understanding of science at that time.
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| Sessions |
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| Credits |
Copyright 2002 American Film Institute.
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| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them. Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps with a throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.
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