Though she never fully comes to life in Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel “Frankenstein,” the mysterious creature known simply as the Bride in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s new feature film has been brought to life again and again on the screen over the decades. And just like the patchwork bodies Dr. Frankenstein constructs in his laboratory, each cinematic incarnation of the Bride has its own origins, personality and, ultimately, fate. 

Since her debut in the 1935 film “Bride of Frankenstein”—a direct sequel to the classic Universal Pictures movie “Frankenstein”—the Bride has been portrayed on film, television and in various other properties dozens of times. 

The latest centers Jessie Buckley in “The Bride!” opposite Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster. It’s the second feature film directed by Gyllenhaal and also stars Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz. 

“The Bride!” is a far cry from the early-19th century setting of Shelley’s original tome. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who also wrote the script for the new film, brought the story forward to 1930s Chicago. Bale’s monster enlists the help of Dr. Euphronius (Bening) to reanimate the corpse of a young woman who’s been murdered.

“What follows is an unexpected journey of romance, identity, chaos and consequences that neither creator nor creation could have anticipated—as the newly awakened Bride discovers herself and the pair’s relationship sparks turmoil, police pursuit and cultural upheaval beyond their imagination,” a synopsis of the film reads. 

The trailer for the film paints a portrait of two wild and rebellious lovers trying to escape those who would stop them a la Bonnie and Clyde. This isn’t too dissimilar from other portrayals of Frankenstein’s monster, who seems to be perpetually on the run from a mob hell-bent on destroying him. 

With “The Bride!” coming to U.S. theaters on March 6, I’d recommend watching two iconic portrayals of the character that couldn’t be more different from one another. 

The first is, of course, the originator of the role—Elsa Lanchester in “Bride of Frankenstein.” She also happens to play Shelley in a framing prologue in which she tells her companions—Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron—that there was more to the Frankenstein story. (You might also recognize Lanchester as Katie Nanna, the disgruntled nanny who quits in the beginning of “Mary Poppins.”)

Despite the film being named for the Bride, the opening credits list her solely as “The Monster’s Mate” with a question mark listed next to it instead of Lanchester’s name. She also has very little screen time, appearing only toward the very end of the film when she’s created and is then destroyed by the monster after she rejects him. 

The Bride’s face is finally unbandaged about 5 minutes from the end of the film. Shortly after, she’s fully revealed, complete with electrified black hair standing on end, a white streak running up the sides. Like Dracula’s widow’s peak, Superman’s forehead curl and Leia’s space buns, the Bride of Frankenstein will forever come to be known by her shocking hairstyle. 

Lanchester’s eyes are largely vacant then fearful as she tries to make sense of what’s been done to her. The Monster is eager to meet his bride, but she recoils and screams. He strokes her hand, but again she screams.

Despondent, the Monster mumbles, “She hate me. Like others.”

Not even another creature like himself could love him, so he decides that they should be destroyed, along with the Bride’s creator, Dr. Pretorius. 

“We belong dead,” the Monster says before pulling a lever to destroy the laboratory. The Bride gives her iconic hiss as the tower comes crumbling down upon them. 

Lanchester is on screen as the Bride for—maybe—4 minutes, but instantly became one of those most recognizable movie monsters in cinema history. Alas, she speaks not a single word and, beyond trying to get away from her intended mate, shows absolutely no agency. 

Fast forward nearly four decades, and we get a very different kind of mate for our Monster. To be fair, though, “Young Frankenstein” directed by Mel Brooks is a very different kind of monster movie. 

Released in 1974, the parody starred Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of Victor Frankenstein. Peter Boyle played the Monster and Madeline Kahn played Elizabeth, Frederick’s fiancee and ultimately, the Bride. Sort of. 

To be clear, Elizabeth is not explicitly the Bride in this movie. Indeed, she’s not even a reanimated corpse. But she’s certainly meant as a stand-in for the role and ultimately invokes the appearance made so memorable by Lanchester in 1935. 

Despite trying to leave the legacy of his grandfather behind, Frederick ultimately decides to make his own creature. Things go wrong, though, when he uses an “abnormal” brain in the corpse of an executed criminal. Like the original Monster, Boyle’s creature has anger issues but can be calmed, improbably, through music. His love of music gives us the best scene of the movie—Frederick and his monster dancing on stage to “Putting on the Ritz” in tuxes. 

Things go sour after the performance, though, and the Monster goes on the run. Elizabeth, who has traveled to Transylvania to visit Frederick, is taken captive by the Monster in what ultimately proves to be a problematic moment in the movie. Elizabeth initially struggles against the Monster’s romantic advances before ultimately giving in. After, Elizabeth re-emerges—at least metaphorically—as the Bride, complete with the electrified hairdo and apparently in love. 

Elizabeth transforms from a sexually repressed socialite engaged to Frederick into the sultry, cigarette-smoking Bride of Frankenstein, complete with a seductive hiss. 

Like Lanchester’s Bride, Elizabeth’s agency is taken from her when the Monster has his way with her. It’s not OK, and there’s little redemption for that plot line in what’s an otherwise hilarious and smart ode to the classics. But, hey, at least they don’t kill this Bride 5 minutes after her creation. 

It’s been another five decades since that portrayal of the Bride, and this time we have a woman handling the script and directing—Maggie Gyllenhaal. Something tells me this Bride is going to have a little more revenge for the things done to her without consent.  

About the writer

Danielle Haynes is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development. “Young Frankenstein” was her first encounter with the Frankenstein story. Hard to come back from that.