Out of all the disturbing visuals in the acclaimed director's monster movie, Dr. Victor Frankenstein played by Oscar Isaac guzzling the white beverage is particularly notable. Instead of his gruesome scientific work or the monster given life, the focus is on this peculiar behavior of drinking multiple servings of dairy throughout the film.
A Meaningful Use of Dairy in Film
Having a character drink the creamy liquid is often a cinematic shorthand to indicate their evil or unstable. This trope appears in many movies, including the classic Kubrick film to Inglourious Basterds. In the Coen brothers' thriller, Javier Bardem's killer drinks milk, and in Jordan Peele's horror film, Allison Williams follows suit after the sinister intentions are revealed. Even The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker drinking green milk marks a major shift in his character.
Image: Lucasfilm/Disney
One notable comparison for Frankenstein is Homelander from The Boys, whose fixation with milk highlights both his malevolence and childishness. Similarly, Victor Frankenstein's fondness for dairy underscores del Toro's view of him as underdeveloped.
Insights from the Film's Creative Team
In order to understand the meaning behind this milk motif, this creative team working on the film offered their thoughts. According to director of photography the visual expert, and he worked with the director on several projects, the reason is simple.
"Victor is essentially a child, and he’s therefore innocent because he’s drinking milk," the cinematographer states. "A normal person would drink red wine or something else."
Image: Netflix
Kate Hawley, who worked on the outfits for this film and other director movies, elaborates on the symbolism.
"He's a manchild," she says. "He is an angry child that’s somewhat grown up. The dairy is a wonderful, tasty, little recurring personal ritual. It connects him straight back his parent. I appreciate that selfish, youthful aspect of Victor."
She adds that viewers can spot bottles of dairy accumulating in the alley near the character's home early in the film, as he encounters Henrich Harlander. "It's a constant thing."
Image: Netflix
For production designer Tamara Deverell, who worked on Nightmare Alley and this one, the milk ties back to Victor's parental figure.
"Victor was mother-obsessed," Deverell states. "He remained always a child who never mature, until he turned into a father of the Monster. So drinking dairy is kind of a representation of youth, of being linked to your childhood."
She also points out that the drink may signify beyond just Victor's lack of growth. A different interpretation is that it exemplifies his intense drive to overcome mortality through his work.
"Victor avoids drink," Deverell says. "He is focused. He's a researcher; a doctor."
Conclusion
Regardless of the underlying significance, one thing is undeniable: Following viewing this film, the simple drink will never appear the ordinary again.
Frankenstein can be streaming now on Netflix.
