Terry Gross

You could say in some ways that the creature in Frankenstein is like artificial intelligence because he's created by man but then lives on its own and can destroy man without even understanding quite what he's doing.

So what are your thoughts about AI and did that kind of inform the movie in any way?

Did you take advantage of any AI in making Frankenstein?

Oh, those are strong words.

The creature in Frankenstein is endowed with eternal life in your film.

Cursed, cursed.

That's what I was going to ask you.

What do you think about, you know, his eternal life is hell.

The creature is alone and he wants to end his tormented life, but he can't.

There's no one in the world who's like him, and Dr. Frankenstein refuses to make a companion for him.

And the creature says, there was only one remedy for pain, death, and you took that away from me too.

After the creature survived something that other people assume would have killed him, he says, there was silence and then merciless life.

I felt lonelier than ever."

So when you think of eternal life, do you think that that's torment?

You mentioned the fear of death every day that your father was held hostage, kidnapped for ransom.

Of course you'd be worried about death then.

It was the threat of death hanging over him, and his life was in your hands to save.

Putting that aside, as major as that is, did you have a fear of death growing up and as a young man?

We were talking earlier about the Book of Job.

You asked your cast to read the Book of Job.