Recently, Punch the Monkey went viral on social media. The 7-month-old macaque stole hearts after his mother abandoned him. While the internet poured out love, Christian Bale made an interesting comparison between Frankenstein and the baby monkey.
Christian Bale compares Frankenstein to Punch the Monkey
Buzzfeed UK interviewed Christian Bale in light of his recent film, The Bride!. During the interview, Bale compared his character Frank, aka Frankenstein, to Punch the Monkey. He said:
“He needs to have a companion, even if it’s someone that sits on the log next to him and never speaks. He just needs someone. Like a poor little monkey in a lab that’s kept by himself. Like little Punch with the orangutan. […] That’s all he needs; that’s what Frank’s thinking.”
To give context, Punch the Monkey is a 7-month-old baby macaque at Ishikawa Zoo in Japan. His mother abandoned him, and hence he found solace and comfort in a stuffed orangutan toy. The clip invoked empathy and love from several internet users worldwide, and within a matter of time, several users expressed their love for the baby monkey.
Both Frankenstein and Punch the Monkey are similar in their need to belong. They desire company and to be understood rather than abandoned, and it is rightly pointed out by the actor.
They seek companionship and find comfort through substitutes; Frankenstein befriends Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s fiancée, while Punch the Monkey is left all alone and becomes attached to a stuffed toy, but that’s not all.
It is interesting how Christian Bale laid out this perfect analogy comparing both Punch and Frankenstein. His upcoming film, The Bride!, interestingly, isn’t a retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic; rather, it is inspired by the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein.
The Bride! features an illustrious star cast where Bale plays Frank; Jessie Buckley plays Ida, also known as the bride, and Jake Gyllenhaal plays the role of Ronnie Reed.
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and distributed by Warner Bros., the movie is set in the 1930s and follows Frankenstein’s quest to find his companion. The movie blends gothic elements with romance.
