Post by Vercetti on Jan 30, 2006 0:55:14 GMT
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
Director: F.W. Murnau
1922 Germany
“Life's Pictures Will Turn to Shadows.”
Hutter, a real estate agent travels to the Carpathian mountains to solidify a deal with a wealthy, yet mysterious Count. Little does he know Count Orlof is actually Nosferatu, a hideous, ratesque vampire who plans to move to Hutter's town of Bremen in Germany, bringing the plague with him.
Stoker wrote a legend that is now known as Dracula. No one has never heard of Dracula himself, he is forever a pop culture symbol of horror, that inspired countless movies. One film however, which illegally took the idea ironically, is the one that brought the best out of it cinematically. F.W. Murnau wanted to make a picture based on the book but couldn’t because he didn’t own the rights. He basically took the story and switched names. Count Dracula became Count Orlok, better known as Nosferatu. This is the first vampire film, and in my opinion, the best. Murnau brought some interesting things into this film that wouldn’t be in an average vampire film, although by today’s standards it is pretty simple.
The plot’s reputation most likely precedes it. An estate agent travels to a rich count to sell a house in England, only to find out he’s a vampire looking for new areas to feed on. Hutter, the agent is horribly played by the bad actor Gustav v. Wangenheim. He travels to the foreign land and stays in a hotel where he mentions he must go to Orlok’s castle, and everyone is shocked. He is warned but shakes it off. Hyenas snarl to locals, obviously an ominous thing. Hutter reads of book on vampires and finds it ridiculous; he is transported only part of the way, as the man who is bringing him refuses to travel in the land of the phantoms. A phantom is sent by Orlok to being him, and this scene is in fast motion, another ominous act. Part of the journey is a reverse negative, showing the dark and brightness opposite of where they should be, yet another innovative shot for it’s time.
Nosferatu is not a normal vampire. Dracula is sexy and seductive to women in many movies, but Max Schreck is a rat-like vision. He is bald, pale white, has his two fangs in the middle of his top line of teeth like a rat, rather then further apart. His nails are long and his whole presence is that of rotting death. This film is Schreck’s show, not once does he blink in the film. I’ve heard rumors that the cast never saw him out of makeup and that the popular myth is that he was a real vampire. I don’t believe that although it is interesting, and spawned the film “Shadow of the Vampire.”
One thing I like about Murnau’s direction is the use of editing cutting to two different places during the same time as if while one thing is happening, we cut to another scene as if to say “meanwhile”, which is common today. In the middle of the film there are scenes that feature three animals that are irrelevant to the plot, but hold significance. A Venus Flytrap catching prey, a spider eating a fly, and a microscopic organism catching prey, all obvious references to vampires. The microorganism is described by a scientist as transparent, almost like a phantom, an obvious reference to the lack of soul within a vampire. These are things I find interesting considering the time the film was made. Many also say there’s a slight tone of rape, or explicit sexual tones that go with the story of the vampire in this film, which shocked audiences. In this day and age it’s hard to notice it, maybe within Greta Schröder’s odd movements at times.
Unfortunately the best restored version of this film done around 1995 has yet to be released, so we must make due with the lesser ones. We will never have it as it was meant to be from Murnau because of Stoker’s widow, who had many prints destroyed. The best version out is the Kino DVD. This is a dated film, but it will always remain a classic. There are many frames that stay with everyone’s memory, seeing Nosferatu rise from his coffin, or his shadow going up a staircase, or my favorite, the scene where his head rises at the end in his best close-up. All in all, this is a disgusting creature that sticks in your mind. Bela may be “the” Dracula, but Nosferatu is in a group of it’s own. A hideous creation that cannot be forgotten.
CREDITS
Director[/b]
F.W. Murnau
Producer
Enrico Dieckmann & Albin Grau
Writers
Henrik Galeen
- based on "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Cinematographer
Fritz Arno Wagner & Günther Krampf
Composer
James Bernard (1997), Carlos U. Garza (2001), Hans Erdmann
Editors
F.W. Murnau (probably)
Costume Designer
Albin Grau
CAST
Max Schreck
Nosferatu/Count Orlof
Gustav von Wangenheim
Hutter
Greta Schröder
Ellen Hutter
Alexander Granach
Knock
John Gottowt
Professor Bulwer[/size]
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
Director: F.W. Murnau
1922 Germany
“Life's Pictures Will Turn to Shadows.”
Hutter, a real estate agent travels to the Carpathian mountains to solidify a deal with a wealthy, yet mysterious Count. Little does he know Count Orlof is actually Nosferatu, a hideous, ratesque vampire who plans to move to Hutter's town of Bremen in Germany, bringing the plague with him.
Stoker wrote a legend that is now known as Dracula. No one has never heard of Dracula himself, he is forever a pop culture symbol of horror, that inspired countless movies. One film however, which illegally took the idea ironically, is the one that brought the best out of it cinematically. F.W. Murnau wanted to make a picture based on the book but couldn’t because he didn’t own the rights. He basically took the story and switched names. Count Dracula became Count Orlok, better known as Nosferatu. This is the first vampire film, and in my opinion, the best. Murnau brought some interesting things into this film that wouldn’t be in an average vampire film, although by today’s standards it is pretty simple.
The plot’s reputation most likely precedes it. An estate agent travels to a rich count to sell a house in England, only to find out he’s a vampire looking for new areas to feed on. Hutter, the agent is horribly played by the bad actor Gustav v. Wangenheim. He travels to the foreign land and stays in a hotel where he mentions he must go to Orlok’s castle, and everyone is shocked. He is warned but shakes it off. Hyenas snarl to locals, obviously an ominous thing. Hutter reads of book on vampires and finds it ridiculous; he is transported only part of the way, as the man who is bringing him refuses to travel in the land of the phantoms. A phantom is sent by Orlok to being him, and this scene is in fast motion, another ominous act. Part of the journey is a reverse negative, showing the dark and brightness opposite of where they should be, yet another innovative shot for it’s time.
Nosferatu is not a normal vampire. Dracula is sexy and seductive to women in many movies, but Max Schreck is a rat-like vision. He is bald, pale white, has his two fangs in the middle of his top line of teeth like a rat, rather then further apart. His nails are long and his whole presence is that of rotting death. This film is Schreck’s show, not once does he blink in the film. I’ve heard rumors that the cast never saw him out of makeup and that the popular myth is that he was a real vampire. I don’t believe that although it is interesting, and spawned the film “Shadow of the Vampire.”
One thing I like about Murnau’s direction is the use of editing cutting to two different places during the same time as if while one thing is happening, we cut to another scene as if to say “meanwhile”, which is common today. In the middle of the film there are scenes that feature three animals that are irrelevant to the plot, but hold significance. A Venus Flytrap catching prey, a spider eating a fly, and a microscopic organism catching prey, all obvious references to vampires. The microorganism is described by a scientist as transparent, almost like a phantom, an obvious reference to the lack of soul within a vampire. These are things I find interesting considering the time the film was made. Many also say there’s a slight tone of rape, or explicit sexual tones that go with the story of the vampire in this film, which shocked audiences. In this day and age it’s hard to notice it, maybe within Greta Schröder’s odd movements at times.
Unfortunately the best restored version of this film done around 1995 has yet to be released, so we must make due with the lesser ones. We will never have it as it was meant to be from Murnau because of Stoker’s widow, who had many prints destroyed. The best version out is the Kino DVD. This is a dated film, but it will always remain a classic. There are many frames that stay with everyone’s memory, seeing Nosferatu rise from his coffin, or his shadow going up a staircase, or my favorite, the scene where his head rises at the end in his best close-up. All in all, this is a disgusting creature that sticks in your mind. Bela may be “the” Dracula, but Nosferatu is in a group of it’s own. A hideous creation that cannot be forgotten.
CREDITS
Director[/b]
F.W. Murnau
Producer
Enrico Dieckmann & Albin Grau
Writers
Henrik Galeen
- based on "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Cinematographer
Fritz Arno Wagner & Günther Krampf
Composer
James Bernard (1997), Carlos U. Garza (2001), Hans Erdmann
Editors
F.W. Murnau (probably)
Costume Designer
Albin Grau
CAST
Max Schreck
Nosferatu/Count Orlof
Gustav von Wangenheim
Hutter
Greta Schröder
Ellen Hutter
Alexander Granach
Knock
John Gottowt
Professor Bulwer[/size]