Among the various disturbing visuals in the acclaimed director's Frankenstein, Dr. Victor Frankenstein portrayed by the star guzzling the white beverage stands out. Rather than the gruesome experiments or his creation given life, it's his odd behavior of drinking glass after glass of dairy throughout the movie.
The Meaningful Role of Dairy in Film
Using a figure drink the creamy liquid is often a visual cue to indicate they are evil or unbalanced. This device shows up in numerous films, from the classic Kubrick film to Tarantino's war movie. In the Coen brothers' thriller, the actor's killer sips it, while in Get Out, Allison Williams does the same after her sinister intentions are revealed. Even The Last Jedi, the legendary hero drinking unusual dairy marks a major shift in his persona.
Image: Lucasfilm/Disney
One strong comparison for Frankenstein is Homelander from The Boys, whose obsession with milk emphasizes both his malevolence and immaturity. Similarly, Victor Frankenstein's preference for dairy reinforces the director's view of him as emotionally stunted.
Perspectives from the Movie's Creative Team
In order to understand the meaning behind this dairy motif, the production team behind the project offered their insights. As per director of photography the visual expert, and he collaborated with del Toro on multiple films, the reason is straightforward.
"Victor is essentially a child, and he’s therefore pure because he’s drinking milk," the cinematographer states. "Any typical guy would opt for alcohol or another beverage."
Image: Netflix
Kate Hawley, and she worked on costumes for this film and previous del Toro movies, expands on the metaphor.
"Victor is a grown child," she says. "He's an frustrated child that’s sort of matured. The dairy is a wonderful, tasty, small recurring individual habit. It links him directly to his parent. I appreciate that selfish, youthful trait of Victor."
She adds that viewers can spot containers of milk piling up in the alley near the character's home in the beginning in the film, when he meets another character. "This is a constant thing."
Image: Netflix
For production designer Tamara Deverell, who worked on another del Toro film and Frankenstein, the milk ties back to Victor's mother.
"Victor was fixated on his mother," Deverell states. "He was constantly a child who never mature, until he became a creator of the Creature. So consuming milk is somewhat a representation of adolescence, of being connected to your early years."
She further points out that the milk may signify more than just Victor's immaturity. A different interpretation is that it shows his intense drive to overcome mortality through science.
"He doesn't alcohol," she says. "He is focused. He's a researcher; a physician."
Final Thoughts
Whatever the underlying meaning, one thing is undeniable: After watching this film, a glass of milk may not look the ordinary again.
Frankenstein is streaming now on Netflix.