The Bride

February 07, 2007

The Bride (1985/I) starring Sting, Jennifer Beals, Clancy Brown, and David Rappaport. This is one of those movies that was crushed by its own stardom. Sting, leader singer of the rock band the Police, was attempting a movie career. Jennifer Beals, was coming right off of the highly successful Flashdance (1983) and so... someone, somewhere had the idea that these two could retell the story of Doctor Frankenstein and his female creation. Boy, were they wrong.

Now the premise for The Bride is like this: Doctor Frankenstein, Sting, attempts to create a mate for his first creation, played here by Clancy Brown. The good doctor succeeds but she is incredibly beautiful. Frankenstein then decides to keep her for himself and create his perfect equal. After all he created her body, why not her mind too? The first creation knows she won’t love him and runs off. So at this point the story splits in two.

The bride is now called Eva and the Doctor begins her education. This part of the story is very dry and at times really artsy. Big ball rooms, Eva walking around naked, gothic crypts, and to put it frankly the acting from Sting and Beals is not very good. The best parts of The Bride take place with the Doctor’s first creation, now named Victor, who meets up with and befriends a circus dwarf played by David Rappaport. Victor is taught the ways of the world and how to be gentle, be a friend, and have a friend. Brown and Rappaport are the saving grace of the film and their performances make all the scenes with Sting and Beals slightly less excoriating.