It's as simple as this: Frankenstein is a BOOK/ novel/ prose fiction narrative (or however you want to phrase it). That means that its lots of writing, it isn't poetry and HEADS UP! they didn't have movies in the 18-whenevers (the exact date of which I should look up so that I don't sound this ignorant in my exam).*
So apart from that uber-obvious observation its also written like of collection of letters- which in academic speech in called EPISTOLARY form.Why would anyone do something like this? Well not only was Ms Mary Shelly was writing before film, when novels were novel and women writing them was even more so BUT she also knew that "form" would effect the way we think about was she is trying to say.
Lets examine the effects: because its a book we get lots of detail, lots of language techniques and since good things come in threes lots of references to *cough, cough* important literature. I could evidence these from all through the book but my favourites are these: "the glorious presence chamber of imperial nature" which uses personification and grand connotational adjectives. "they consisted of Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch's Lives and the Sorrows of Werter" where Shelly inserts some books that were really popular at the time into the monster's hands through a random "leather portmanteau" left on the ground. And my favourite of all is that Walton and Frankenstein's plots are parallel with the tragedy of the Ancient Mariner- from a contemporary poem in 1818- and Shelly points it out- "to the "land of mist and snow" but I will kill no albatross."
Now epistolary form (for me, anyway) emphasises the importance of family. Like Walton's whole premise for writing his journey down is to send the account to his sister, even though he is primarily alone and cut off from all family. "Farwell my dear, excellent Margaret." Frankenstein's family likewise reaches out to him through the letters he relates, particularly Elizabeth's after his sickness in Inglostadt. "My Dearest cousin, You have been ill, very ill, and even the constant letters of dear kind Henry are not sufficent to reassure me on your account."
Okay now lets look at Blade Runner which is a MOVIE/ film /hollywood blockbuster. That means that its made up of moving pictures, soundtrack and dialogue, visual symbols and mise en scene a word which here refers to the fact that Ridley Scott packed the set full of rubbish (pun intended). So yah! lots of techniques entirely unrelated to books and barely related to words.
So the other "form" things worth mentioning in Blade Runner are related to genre. Neo-noir (literally new black, ironically enough) which is a resurgence of 40's dark detective film styles constantly used in Blade Runner- have look at Deckard's dress and character, or the lighting used Leo's first scene. Scifi- which is mainly in the dystopian future context and the casting of Deckard (Hans Solo anyone?).
You can probably tell that Blade Runner is not my favourite movie but I will give that its COMPLEX. That's all I have to say.
HP out.
* sorry about that- Mary Shelley first published Frankenstein in 1818.
