Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Dir: F.W. Murnau
Nosferatu is my
favourite film of all time. Since first seeing it on DVD around 2004/5 I’ve
become somewhat obsessed with it, gathering seven versions of the film on DVD*
(soon to be eight with next month’s Blu-Ray release) as well as remakes,
homages, graphic novel adaptations and much more. Just last week I had the
pleasure of seeing the film on the big screen for the first time in a limited
theatrical run to promote the Blu-Ray.
So, with that in
mind and because, as a blogger I am legally required to do a Halloween post,
let’s give it a review.
Nosferatu, for
those who don’t know, is a German silent film, intended to be the first film
adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. However, the creators failed to
obtain the rights to the novel and decided instead to change elements of the
plot as well as the characters names to avoid legal troubles, thus, Jonathan
Harker becomes Thomas Hutter, his wife Mina becomes Ellen and Count Dracula
becomes Graf Orlok.
The changes didn’t
work though, and shortly after the release Bram Stoker’s widow took the film
makers to court and won. As a result of the verdict all copies of the film had
to be destroyed, though luckily several copies survived in the hands of private
collectors.
Today, both the
film and the original novel have both fallen into the public domain so we are
now free to enjoy the film in all its glory.
I adore this film.
Despite its age it still holds up today and the creepy atmosphere and slow
pacing still work brilliantly. The main draw is of course, Graf Orlok himself,
played to perfection by Max Schreck who moves slowly and stiffly his every
gesture laborious. Despite the film being silent you can almost hear the
vampire’s joints creak as he stalks his prey. Unlike later incarnations of the
Count, who portray him as suave and seductive, Orlok is repulsive, ugly and
rat-like. He certainly looks like a centuries old creature risen from the grave
and it’s a far more frightening visual to see this decaying beast enter a room
than the handsome gent Dracula is so often portrayed as.
What makes Orlok
all the more interesting is how little we see him. Over the ninety minute
runtime of the film, he appears on screen for just over ten minutes, yet when
finishing the film, it feels as if his presence was stamped onto every frame.
Interestingly, some
elements of the Orlok character intended to differentiate him from his novel
counterpart have found their way back into the Dracula mythos. The film casts
Orlok as a nocturnal creature and the film’s ending sees him killed by the
light of the sun. This is drastically different to the novel which sees Dracula
walking around London
in the sun perfectly happily, yet the idea of sun killing vampires has seeped
into popular culture and today it is seen in almost all vampire media, from
Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the Twilight saga. I’ve even seen film adaptations
of Dracula that see the vampire killed off by the sun, the weakness of his “knock-off”
counterpart.
The rest of the
cast are brilliant too, Gustav Von Wangenheim although prone to overacting (one
of the few things that really date the film) portrays Hutter as an innocent
fool, more child than man who finds his world turned upside down with his visit
to Orlok’s castle.
Greta Schroder is
fantastic as the melancholic Ellen who appears almost as ghost-like as Orlok
himself over the course of the film.
All are backed up
be vibrant and memorable performances by the supporting cast, including Alexander
Granach’s energetic portrayal of Knock, the film’s version of Renfield.
Aside from Orlok
though, the real star are the visuals that director F.W. Murnau and his
cinematographer F.A. Wagner were able to craft. The scenes in Orlok’s castle
especially are wonderfully claustrophobic, the audience feels trapped in the
small rooms just as Hutter is and the brilliant use of shadows make for some of
cinemas most memorable scenes. Who could forget the eerie sight of Orlok’s
shadow ascend the staircase and open the door to Ellen’s room?
While Nosferatu may
not frighten modern audiences as much as it did those of the past, the film
still maintains a quiet, chilling atmosphere, the scary scenes are few and far
between but the tension builds slowly between them. Watching this film alone is
the dark is still be a haunting experience that hasn’t been dampened by the
passage of time. Watching Nosferatu today is still rich and rewarding and I
would encourage you to seek it out this Halloween and take the trip with
Hutter, to the land of thieves and ghosts.
*A note on the
various versions of the film for those wishing to seek it out. If possible I
would avoid the public domain version (the version usually found on sites like
youtube). This version restores the characters names back to their Dracula
counterparts, is often ran at the wrong speed (resulting in Benny Hill-a-like
movement), isn’t tinted and often has scenes missing. It’s a very poor version
of the film and definitely not the one you want to watch if you’re watching for
the first time.
If you want to watch the film properly the
best way to do so is with the Masters of Cinema edition on DVD which presents
the film as it is meant to be seen,correct tinting/intertitles/speed etc and
with the original score. This is by far the best version out there, so if
you’re serious about watching the film make sure it’s the one you pick up.
Alternativly,
there’s my personal favourite, the Eureka version with an electronic score by French group Art Zoyd. While the modern
soundtrack may put some people off, personally I think it’s the score that best
matches the visuals of the film and lends the most horror to the scenes with
Orlok.
Whatever edition
you end up watching though (…but seriously, don’t watch the public domain
version) I hope you enjoy it. You’re in for a treat.
