#gdt

[nigelgraz]

Gentle

[newtlesbian]

her eyes sparkled in the sunlight like the back of a pacific rim dvd

[caterinasmeanrighthook]

if i had a nickel for every time guillermo del toro directed a scene where an offputting freak takes their brother's young, vivacious girlfriend to the park and uses butterflies as a means of flirting with her, i'd only have two nickels, but it's weird that it's happened twice

[demonteef]

let's talk victor, his red gloves, war and the angel.

note: this post is going to get updated over the weekend (15-16/11/2025), as i want to broaden the st michael symbolism and add the context of victor's mother in relation to the colour red and the motif of creation.

I think the anti-war nature of Del Toro's Frankenstein is more than obvious. I also think the near-constant presence of Victor's leather gloves was a great detail. Aaand I'm quite sure I know the angel from his visions. And I may have a theory on how all those things are connected.

At first, I assumed the gloves' symbolism was obvious: red like blood, but also the constant concealment of Victor's palms as a metaphor for detachment, especially since we know how important hand-to-hand contact is in the movie.

But, given the way GDT draws from the Bible, would it be such a great stretch to bring up another (quite famous) pair of metaphorically bloodied hands?

In Matthew 27:24, Pontius Pilate attempts to argue for Jesus' life and save him from crucifixion despite the rioting crowd. Clearly that doesn’t work lol. He gives in, says, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves", and publicly washes his hands as a symbol of ceremonial cleansing/withdrawal of responsibility. Which is. Extremely ironic, given the fact that it is Pilate that confirms Jesus' death sentence. Even if he tries to deny that. And doesn't Victor, too, attempt to shrug off the responsibility for his creation's suffering from the very start?

But, ah. The colour red. Blood, yes, but also — what was the second Horseman of the Apocalypse's horse? Red. And the Horseman was War.

Once again, this movie fucking hates war!!!!!! It depicts it as pointless, monstrous, loathsome!!!!

And do you know who Victor's angel is? The one from the visions?

I know this man because I have been obsessed with him for ages

Judging by his armour and sword, that is most likely Archangel Michael — the "Warrior" Archangel. The one God created to "be like Him" (his name literally translates to, "Quis ut Deus?" a.k.a. "Who is like God?"), the one whose devotion was so absolute he allegedly battled his own brother and was the leading force behind Lucifer's banishment (carrying out their Father's will).

Archangel Michael is the leading patron saint of war. Literally. Of warfare. Of military. Of policemen. Of violence. There is a reason why he's always depicted armoured and wielding a sword.

And... I don't know, I just think there's something to be said about the fact that the embodiment of Victor's ambition, his haughty dreams, his perfect visions is the saint patron of war, all the while the actual creation, the "failure" he comes to loathe, starts his readings with the Bible, the literal creation of man, and ends on Milton's Paradise Lost, which details the fall of Lucifer.

I think there's something to be said about Victor following the supposed call of the archangel of violence, all the while renouncing the tender-hearted creature that, in the novel, famously tells him, "I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel (...)."

edit:

i'd also like to include these excellent additions by @anamelessfool @angelsarecomputers @dark-whimsy and @britsgovernmentmh

[hanighul]

The Snow White of modern Gothic cinema <3

[kastiakbc]

I need the creature to just relax in a leaf pile for a bit.

[mcpayne]

Guillermo Del Toro's "Frankenstein" photographed by Jacob Elordi

[mimi-maru]

creation of adam