Out of all the disturbing images in the acclaimed director's monster movie, Dr. Victor Frankenstein portrayed by the star guzzling milk stands out. Instead of his macabre experiments or the creation given life, it's this peculiar behavior of consuming multiple servings of milk during the movie.
The Symbolic Role of Dairy in Cinema
Using a figure consume the creamy liquid is frequently a cinematic shorthand to indicate they are villainous or unstable. The device appears in numerous films, including A Clockwork Orange to Tarantino's war movie. For example, in the Coen brothers' thriller, Javier Bardem's antagonist sips it, and in Get Out, a key character follows suit once her evil plans are revealed. Even The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker drinking green milk marks a major shift in his persona.
Image: Lucasfilm/Disney
One notable comparison for Frankenstein is the antagonist from The Boys, whose obsession with milk highlights both his malevolence and childishness. In the same way, the doctor's preference for dairy underscores del Toro's interpretation of him as emotionally stunted.
Insights from the Movie's Creative Team
To understand the meaning behind this milk motif, the production group behind the film offered their insights. As per director of photography Dan Laustsen, who worked with the director on several films, the explanation is straightforward.
"Victor is still a kid, and he’s therefore innocent because he’s drinking milk," the cinematographer states. "A typical guy would drink alcohol or another beverage."
Image: Netflix
Kate Hawley, and she worked on the outfits for Frankenstein and other director works, expands on the metaphor.
"He's a grown child," Hawley says. "He is an angry child that’s somewhat matured. The dairy is a charming, tasty, small recurring individual habit. It connects him directly back his parent. I love that selfish, childlike trait of Victor."
She notes that audiences can see containers of milk accumulating in the alley near the character's apartment early in the movie, as he encounters Henrich Harlander. "This is a recurring thing."
Image: Netflix
For set designer the artistic lead, and she contributed to Nightmare Alley and Frankenstein, the milk relates to the character's parental figure.
"Victor was fixated on his mother," she says. "He was always a child who never mature, up to he became a father of the Monster. So drinking milk is somewhat a representation of adolescence, of being linked to your childhood."
Deverell also suggests that the milk may signify beyond just his immaturity. Another reading is that it exemplifies his obsessive determination to conquer death through science.
"He doesn't alcohol," Deverell explains. "He is dedicated. He's a researcher; a doctor."
Conclusion
Regardless of the true meaning, one thing is clear: After watching this film, a glass of milk may not appear the ordinary again.
Frankenstein can be streaming currently on Netflix.
