directed by F.W. Murnau
Okay so it's not a criterion film, but it's part of another film list I'm working through, the 366 weird movies list found on 366weirdmovies.com. Also I wanted to watch a movie for Halloween that I hadn't seen yet, so I figured this would be a good opportunity for it.
So, going in, I knew that Nosferatu featured a rather marked variation from the standard Holywood vampire. Even Lugosi played a more attractive vampire than Schreck's Orlok, who I always thought looked kind of silly and uncomfortable in his costume. Other than that, though, I only knew of the films legal troubles with the Stoker estate.
Overall, I think Nosferatu is an interesting yarn that really dwells in its atmosphere very well. From the moment the film introduces Hutter's (this film's Jonathan Harker) boss Knock, there's this off-kilter feeling. I remember back in undergrad I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for a Horror-film class that I was in, and I was struck by the highly expressionistic set design of the film. Although Nosferatu came out two years after Caligari, it has a markedly different visual language to it. This isn't a bad thing, although... well I'll get to this later.
The shots that this country gives of the European countryside are just absolutely gorgeous! Unfortunately I couldn't really find any to post here, but there are many shots of mountains, rivers, and fields that just give this stunning view of what're supposed to be the Carpathians I believe.
Once Hutter meets Orlok, I will say that the film differs in a number of ways from Stoker's novel. Where Dracula was charming and polite, Orlok almost immediately tries to drink Hutter's blood. Also, notably, the brides are absent from this film. This isn't really a problem, but it does make Hutter's need to "escape" the castle once Orlok has left a little less clear.
The film differs drastically from the book at the end. The character of Ellen, Hutter's wife, who is sort of a combination of both Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker, seems to know that she needs to sacrifice herself so that Orlok will die in the sunlight. I did initially wonder if there wasn't any other way, but I kind of knew her death was coming toward about the midway point in the movie. I will say, I did notice as the movie went on though that Ellen is really the protagonist of the film. Hutter sets up the initial interaction between Orlok that prompts him to come to Germany, but from there all of the conflict revolves around Ellen and her figuring out how to set up Orlok's death. I'm somewhat uncomfortable with the whole "women dying in horror movies" stock thing, but I guess I'm a little bit more okay with it when it's more of a sacrifice to kill the film's monster. What're other folks thoughts on this?
A few other observations, most of which are minor nitpicky things
-There's a point in the film where an innkeep warns Hutter of a werewolf that prowls at night, and we get a shot of this werewolf and... it's so clearly a Striped Hyena. It's also adorable.
-Orlok at one point carries his coffin through the German town he's bought a house in and it's hilarious to watch. He's sort of awkwardly holding it under his arms and walking like he's trying to sneak around with it. Also, it's very obviously daylight in these shots, and I think we're just supposed to pretend it isn't. Maybe this is one of those things that would've been less apparent on older film.
Okay so it's not a criterion film, but it's part of another film list I'm working through, the 366 weird movies list found on 366weirdmovies.com. Also I wanted to watch a movie for Halloween that I hadn't seen yet, so I figured this would be a good opportunity for it.
So, going in, I knew that Nosferatu featured a rather marked variation from the standard Holywood vampire. Even Lugosi played a more attractive vampire than Schreck's Orlok, who I always thought looked kind of silly and uncomfortable in his costume. Other than that, though, I only knew of the films legal troubles with the Stoker estate.
Overall, I think Nosferatu is an interesting yarn that really dwells in its atmosphere very well. From the moment the film introduces Hutter's (this film's Jonathan Harker) boss Knock, there's this off-kilter feeling. I remember back in undergrad I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for a Horror-film class that I was in, and I was struck by the highly expressionistic set design of the film. Although Nosferatu came out two years after Caligari, it has a markedly different visual language to it. This isn't a bad thing, although... well I'll get to this later.
The shots that this country gives of the European countryside are just absolutely gorgeous! Unfortunately I couldn't really find any to post here, but there are many shots of mountains, rivers, and fields that just give this stunning view of what're supposed to be the Carpathians I believe.
Once Hutter meets Orlok, I will say that the film differs in a number of ways from Stoker's novel. Where Dracula was charming and polite, Orlok almost immediately tries to drink Hutter's blood. Also, notably, the brides are absent from this film. This isn't really a problem, but it does make Hutter's need to "escape" the castle once Orlok has left a little less clear.
The film differs drastically from the book at the end. The character of Ellen, Hutter's wife, who is sort of a combination of both Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker, seems to know that she needs to sacrifice herself so that Orlok will die in the sunlight. I did initially wonder if there wasn't any other way, but I kind of knew her death was coming toward about the midway point in the movie. I will say, I did notice as the movie went on though that Ellen is really the protagonist of the film. Hutter sets up the initial interaction between Orlok that prompts him to come to Germany, but from there all of the conflict revolves around Ellen and her figuring out how to set up Orlok's death. I'm somewhat uncomfortable with the whole "women dying in horror movies" stock thing, but I guess I'm a little bit more okay with it when it's more of a sacrifice to kill the film's monster. What're other folks thoughts on this?
A few other observations, most of which are minor nitpicky things
-There's a point in the film where an innkeep warns Hutter of a werewolf that prowls at night, and we get a shot of this werewolf and... it's so clearly a Striped Hyena. It's also adorable.
-Orlok at one point carries his coffin through the German town he's bought a house in and it's hilarious to watch. He's sort of awkwardly holding it under his arms and walking like he's trying to sneak around with it. Also, it's very obviously daylight in these shots, and I think we're just supposed to pretend it isn't. Maybe this is one of those things that would've been less apparent on older film.
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