The Reason Oscar Isaac Consumes So Much Dairy in Guillermo del Toro's Monster Tale: A Detailed Analysis
Among the various unsettling images in the acclaimed director's monster movie, the main character played by the star guzzling the white beverage is particularly notable. Instead of his gruesome experiments or his monster given life, it's his odd behavior of drinking multiple servings of milk during the film.
A Symbolic Role of Dairy in Film
Using a character consume milk is often a visual cue to suggest their villainous or unbalanced. The trope appears in many films, from A Clockwork Orange to Tarantino's war movie. In No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem's antagonist sips it, while in Jordan Peele's horror film, Allison Williams does the same after her evil intentions are unveiled. Even The Last Jedi, the legendary hero gulping unusual dairy signals a drastic shift in his character.
Image: Lucasfilm/Disney
One notable comparison for this film is the antagonist from the popular series, whose obsession with the beverage emphasizes both his malevolence and childishness. Similarly, Victor Frankenstein's fondness for dairy underscores del Toro's view of him as emotionally stunted.
Perspectives from the Film's Production Crew
In order to understand the meaning behind this milk motif, this creative group behind the project shared their insights. According to cinematographer the visual expert, and he collaborated with the director on several projects, the reason is simple.
"He's still a kid, and he’s therefore pure because he’s drinking milk," Laustsen states. "A normal person would opt for red wine or something else."
Image: Netflix
Kate Hawley, who worked on the outfits for Frankenstein and other del Toro works, elaborates on the metaphor.
"Victor is a grown child," she says. "He's an frustrated child that’s sort of matured. The milk is a wonderful, tasty, little ongoing individual habit. It links him directly back his parent. I appreciate that self-centered, youthful trait of Victor."
Hawley adds that audiences can see containers of milk accumulating in the street outside the character's apartment early in the film, as he encounters Henrich Harlander. "This is a recurring thing."
Image: Netflix
For production designer Tamara Deverell, who contributed to Nightmare Alley and this one, the beverage relates to the character's parental figure.
"Victor was mother-obsessed," Deverell says. "He was always a child who never grew up, up to he turned into a father of the Creature. So drinking dairy is kind of a representation of youth, of being linked to your childhood."
Deverell further suggests that the drink could represent beyond just his immaturity. Another interpretation is that it exemplifies his obsessive determination to overcome death through science.
"Victor avoids drink," she explains. "He is dedicated. He's a researcher; a doctor."
Final Thoughts
Regardless of the underlying meaning, one thing is undeniable: After watching this film, the simple drink will never look the same again.
The film is streaming currently on the platform.
