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Directed by Written by Starring Presented by 81 minutes |
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NOSFERATU (1922) Review
NOSFERATU is horror’s first classic movie, a brilliant film by F.W. Murnau by taking Bram Stoker’s DRACULA and making his own adaptation. Only the characters’ names are changed, but at its core this is DRACULA. However, for a film shot 86 years ago, the fact that we are talking about it today makes it a timeless classic and one of cinema’s first treasures. The silent film stars Max Schreck as Count Orlock, the title character who instills mild mannered Hutter (Gustov von Wangenheim) to visit his estate because Orlock wants to buy a deserted house in Hutter’s hometown. Of course, Orlock’s intentions are clear: he wants Ellen, Hutter’s wife, as his bride. However, from the first moments that Hutter goes to the Carpathian Mountains to Orlock’s estate, he knows something is amiss. Soon, Hutter is prisoner in Orlock’s estate and Orlock himself travels to Ellen. The film’s centerpiece is the scene on the ship, with the memorable scene of Orlock rising out of his coffin chillingly. It is a terrifying scene that no doubt frightened audiences in 1922. His subsequential slaughter of the crew is shown mostly off screen, but is a terrific exercise in mood and tension. At 81 minutes, the film never feels slowed down, and although the characters have changed, this is perhaps the most faithful adaptation of Stoker’s novel (until Coppola made BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA 70 years later) to the screen. The sheer image of the vampire itself is still the most visually terrifying on screen, with much credit to Max Schreck, as his performance is the stuff of legend. With only nine minutes of screen time, he is electrifying in his scenes. His first appearance is stunning, and the film loses its quality when he’s off the screen. It’s safe to say that without Schreck, the film wouldn’t be as memorable. What also makes the film feel authentic is that the film was not shot on any soundstage, all the locations were real locales, and Murnau makes the most of these settings. I understand that even today, most of the exteriors look identical, which adds to its timeless stature. Murnau was also brilliant at the structure of the film, as though there is no dialogue, the performances though over the top at some points (normal for that era), it enhances the film’s quality. F.W. Murnau, like D.W. Griffith, is one of cinema’s first genius filmmakers, being amongst the first to use structure and atmosphere to tell a compelling story. He also was a man ahead of his years both in NOSFERATU and his most technical achievement SUNRISE. His career and life cut short by a car accident at the age of 43, perhaps it is a testament to Murnau that he has a short body of work as his legacy, as his films are treasures to look at. NOSFERATU is Murnau at his best, and is the most imitated horror film ever made. The only decision is which version of NOSFERATU to buy. Being the film is in public domain, there are a lot of versions available and each one is modified slightly. Some versions play with the color tints, which can be a little distracting, but don’t take away from the overall feel of the film. It’s still enjoyable no matter what version you get, and is a must buy for horror film fans. In all, NOSFERATU is a classic exercise in terror, and a must see for filmmakers, film fans, and horror fans as horror’s first masterpiece. It hasn’t really dated that much and is worth checking out. For a great double feature, I’d recommend NOSFERATU and E. Elias Merhige’s outstanding 2000 film SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, which puts a twist on the making of NOSFERATU into a compelling film of its own. It’s also worth checking out Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake, one of the most compelling remakes made. I should add that if you leave near a vintage theater that plays NOSFERATU on the big screen with a live organist, you should definitely go to see the film this way, the exact way it was shown 86 years ago. NOSFERATU THE VAMPIRE: 9 Out Of 10 Maggots
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