Nosferatu - Phantom der Nacht (1979)

ravenus

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NOSFERATU – PHANTOM OF THE NIGHT (Werner Herzog)

Since I have not actually seen F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu – Symphony of Terror, I cannot make comparisons but Werner Herzog’s 1979 tribute/remake Nosferatu – Phantom of the Night is on its own a very interesting offbeat adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale.

The screenplay while based on Dracula differs considerably in actual execution. Here, Jonathan Harker of Wismar, married to Lucy (yes), is sent by his employer, a man of dubious sanity, Mr. Renfield (yes, again) to Count Dracula of Transylvania to settle the purchase of an old house adjacent to Jonathan’s own. Despite the warnings of locals and gypsies, Harker makes his way to the home of the Count, only to find himself in the clutches of a being more dead than alive. Dracula, enamoured by a photograph of Lucy, pushes forward the sale of the house and, trapping Jonathan in his castle, arranges to have himself transported as part of a shipment of soil “for botanical experiments”. The arrival of the undead count brings forth a deadly plague on the townspeople, spread by his minions, the rats.

Meanwhile, Jonathan has escaped, but is a nervous and physical wreck by the time he reaches his beloved. Under treatment from Dr. Van Helsing, his recent turmoil is slowly beginning to change him. Dracula tries to blackmail Lucy into giving him some of the love she gives Jonathan, only to be rebuffed. In the end, she causes his death by making him forget the arrival of dawn as he feeds upon her, but is the sacrifice worth it?

Although far more comprehensible, the movie reminded me to an extent of Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr; both share a dreamy, predominantly sepulchral tone. The adventure elements of Stoker’s story are severely pared down to strike a constant melancholic tone - Colors are muted, actions slow and deliberate, voices murmuring. It is also a visual film with long silent passages, every frame worth savoring for its sheer texture. Herzog’s insistence on shooting at authentic outdoor locations – in scenes like Jonathan’s journey to Borgo pass, the plague on the town of Wismar, the closing shot - makes for one of the most ravishing Dracula films made. Even the indoor sets and lighting have a marvelously tangible quality. It is like an exhibition of gothic art.

Using the same getup as Max Schreck’s Orlock in Murnau’s film, Klaus Kinski plays Dracula as a repulsive rat-like being cursed with immortality, resigned to live through centuries of the same futile pattern of existence. His vampire has no awe-inspiring super-powers and he is no tail-coated seducer of nubile victims. You feel pity for him as he pushes towards dreary eternity, not able to die even if he wishes it. Aided by some evocative dialog, Kinski’s performance is understated and credible. Also, I found it quite different from his swaggering portrayal of the lead character in Herzog’s Aguirre, the Wrath of God, testament to his versatility.

Given its sedate pace and obvious art-house moorings, this film is not recommended for all, and certainly not for impatient viewers or gore-fans. But this is one leisurely trip where the journey is its own reward.
 
A fine review.

I am the opposite of yourself in having never seen this movie but I have a copy of the 1922 Murnau version. To that end, if you are interested in tracking down a copy, you can pick it up at www.oldies.com for about $6. :)
 
A friend of mine has it so it's not a problem. I'll check it out before I buy.
 
Nosferatu - Symphony of Horror

Nosferatu - Symphonie des Grauens (F.W. Murnau)

Muranu's 1922 vampire classic certainly has its good points but IMO it is for the current day a bit long in the tooth. An adaptation of Dracula which for reasons of copyright and pacing makes changes in the characters of the original work, Murnau's version suffers from the limitations of what was possible with a still camera and mostly stagebound locations. Hence it does not have a very consistent cinematic quality. Some of the dialog can be unintentionally hilarious. Some scenes like the high-speed shot of Dracula's carriage racing towards his castle look very underwhelming. Also the use of a constant musical background as was prevalent in the days of the silent film, dissipates some of the eerie atmosphere the film is trying to raise. My personal preference for a vampire film made in this era is Carl Dreyer's Vampyr, which scores higher on the surreal and eerie aspect and has some groundbreaking visuals. To Murnau's credit, he does the best within his possibilities and in the light of its good parts Nosferatu is doubtless an interesting and highly influential piece of film history.

The best parts of Nosferatu of course are the ones featuring Max Schreck as the evil Count Orlok. Schreck looks genuinely scary and evil, and Murnau pulls out some of his best visual tricks towards the depiction of the vampire, for instance the shadow shots showing the vampire's sihouette towering over Hutter/Harker, his hand moving across Ellen/Mina's heart. There are some other very well-captured episodes like the arrival of the ship of death and the funereal march in the plague-ridden town of Wisborg. Many such scenes were lovingly recreated by Werner Herzog in his atmospheric 1979 tribute/remake, often using similar props and camera angles. I must here also commend screenplay writer Henrik Galeen's intelligent paring down of Bram Stoker's sprawling adventure with its bevy of characters into a much more intimate and sepulchral piece; virtually the same sequence of events is used by Herzog in his version.

Watching Max Schreck's portrayal of Count Orlok also makes one realize what a brilliant note perfect imitation was done by Williem Dafoe in Shadow of The Vampire where he played Orlok as a genuine vampire.
 

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