Tom Hulce credited as playing...
Henry Clerval
- Victor Frankenstein: No I'm serious. You take vaccine for instance. 30 years ago the entire concept of vaccine was unheard of, and now we save lives every day. But that isn't the whole answer.
- Henry Clerval: What do you mean?
- Victor Frankenstein: That sooner or later the best way to cheat death, will be to create life.
- Henry Clerval: Now you've gone too far. There's only one God, Victor.
- Victor Frankenstein: No. Leave God out of this. Listen. You love someone they have a sick heart. Wouldn't you give them a healthy one.
- Henry Clerval: Impossible!
- Victor Frankenstein: No, it's not impossible. We can do it. We're steps away. If we can do that if we can replace one part of a human being. We can replace every part. And if we can do that we can design a life. We can create a being that will not grow old or sicken. One that will be stronger than us, better than us, one that will be more intelligent than us, more civilized than us.
- Henry Clerval: In our lifetime?
- Professor Waldman: No!
- Victor Frankenstein: How close did you get, Professor?
- Professor Waldman: Too close.
- Victor Frankenstein: Professor, I beg you, let me see these notes!
- Professor Waldman: No! My work now and it's application, lies exclusively in the preservation of life. I abandoned my researches many years ago.
- Victor Frankenstein: Why?
- Professor Waldman: Because they resulted in abomination.
- Henry Clerval: Nice coat.
- Victor Frankenstein: Thank you.
- Henry Clerval: Don't take it too hard. It's just that Krempe doesn't approve of public humiliation.
- Victor Frankenstein: I am not mad!
- Henry Clerval: My dear fellow, of course you're not. In fact that's just the sort of thing I'd expect a perfectly rational person to say to a complete stranger. Henry Clerval, by the way and I'm completely crazy.
- Victor Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein.
- Henry Clerval: Of Geneva
- Victor Frankenstein: Of Geneva
- Henry Clerval: Yes I...
- Schiller: [bumping into them] Why don't you look where I'm going?
- Henry Clerval: That's Schiller. Ornament to the playing field.
- Victor Frankenstein: Really?
- Henry Clerval: He's new as well. You can tell because he goes around looking at things with his mouth open. What are you here for?
- Victor Frankenstein: Research.
- Henry Clerval: Very grand. I'm here to become a mere doctor. I'm told that has something to do with healing the sick, which is a pity really, because I find sick people rather revolting.
- Victor Frankenstein: Uh-huh.
- Henry Clerval: Still, I'll have a good time, get my degree if I can stop failing anatomy, and settle down to relieve rich old ladies of imaginary ailments. And then relieve their very real and beautiful daughters.
- Victor Frankenstein: Who was that? He was at the lecture.
- Henry Clerval: Ah, that's Waldman.
- Victor Frankenstein: Oh, that's Waldman?
- Henry Clerval: Yes, interesting case. They say, in his youth, he could break into heaven and lecture God on science. Ran into trouble with the authorities a few years back. Something to do with illegal experiments.
- Victor Frankenstein: What kind of experiments, I wonder? So what was it you were saying about rich old ladies and their daughters?
- Henry Clerval: Yes, it's a life of sacrifice, I know. But someone's got to do it.
- Henry Clerval: Even if it were possible - and even if you had the right, which you don't - to make this decision for us, can you imagine for one second that there wouldn't there be a terrible price to pay?
- Victor Frankenstein: I think for the chance to defeat death and disease, to let everyone on this earth have the chance of life - sustained, healthy life - to allow people who love each other to be together forever - for all of that, I think it's a risk worth taking.
- Henry Clerval: Victor? Victor! Victor, open the door! Victor, please!
- Victor Frankenstein: What do you want?
- Henry Clerval: There's cholera. It's an epidemic! The city's been placed under martial law. Are you listening to me, Victor?
- Victor Frankenstein: Yes. And?
- Henry Clerval: The militia's arriving to quarantine the city. Most of us are getting out while we still can. Krempe knows you're here. What if he tells the authorities?
- Victor Frankenstein: Goodbye, Henry.
- Elizabeth: Victor, it's me. Elizabeth. Can you hear me? Victor, I have to see you.
- Victor Frankenstein: Go away.
- Elizabeth: Please, Victor! I won't leave here until you see me.
- Victor Frankenstein: Come in the side door. Alone!
- Elizabeth: What's happened to you? How can you live here like this? And that stench.
- Victor Frankenstein: Don't go in there!
- [He shuts the doors]
- Elizabeth: We have to leave. It isn't safe.
- Victor Frankenstein: No, I have to stay.
- Elizabeth: Even if it means you'll die?
- Victor Frankenstein: Yes.
- Elizabeth: Well, let me help you.
- Victor Frankenstein: No, that's impossible.
- Elizabeth: We made a promise. Victor, I beg you.
- Victor Frankenstein: Look, I know that this is difficult for you to understand..but I cannot abandon this work now. It is too important. Not just for me, but, believe me, for everyone. And it must come first.
- Elizabeth: Before us?
- Victor Frankenstein: Elizabeth... I love you so much, but...
- Elizabeth: Goodbye.
- [She runs out]
- Victor Frankenstein: Come on, Henry.
- Henry Clerval: I can't help you, Victor. I can't help you.
- Victor Frankenstein: You won't. What are you frightened of?
- Henry Clerval: Everything! What do you think? And what if the authorities--?
- Victor Frankenstein: Will do this in secret. I've got the raw materials, I've got Waldman's journals. Together we know more than Krempe's whole staff
- Henry Clerval: You stole Waldman's journals?
- Victor Frankenstein: We owe it to him to complete this work. He was one step away.
- Henry Clerval: He never wanted this.
- Victor Frankenstein: He couldn't face it, there's a difference.
- Henry Clerval: Even if it were possible, and even if you had the right--which you don't--to make this decision for us... can you imagine for one second that there wouldn't be a terrible price to pay?
- Victor Frankenstein: I think for the chance to defeat death and disease to let everyone on this Earth have the chance of life, sustained, healthy life, to allow people who love each other to be together forever... For all of that, I think it's a risk worth taking.
- Henry Clerval: [from trailer; somewhat sternly] No, you can't cheat death.
- Victor Frankenstein: [whispers] We won't know unless we try.
- Elizabeth: Who is this man? I mean, how do you know he's responsible?
- Victor Frankenstein: I'll tell you everything after I destroyed him.
- Henry Clerval: If what you say is true then surely this is a matter for the police!
- Victor Frankenstein: They wouldn't understand.
- Elizabeth: Well, neither do I.
- Victor Frankenstein: Then just accept it.
- [Victor is recovering in bed and Henry gives him a bowl to drink from]
- Henry Clerval: There now. Easy. Easy. Just a bit. That's it. There, now, rest easy.
- Victor Frankenstein: Henry, you're here.
- Henry Clerval: Of course I'm here. It was touch and go with you, though. Just a bit more. I feared cholera, turned out to be pneumonia. Yes, I'm becoming something of a doctor. Even Krempe seems pleased with me. At this rate, I might even pass anatomy.
- Victor Frankenstein: The epidemic?
- Henry Clerval: Dreadful. There's nothing we can do for them. The vulnerable, anyone who's without shelter or food... the newborns, especially, will die.
- Victor Frankenstein: Are you sure?
- Henry Clerval: I'm certain of it.
- Victor Frankenstein: Thank god.
- Henry Clerval: What do you mean?
- Victor Frankenstein: Nothing.
- Henry Clerval: Well then, that's my shift finished. I'll see you later.