The Great Movies: "Nosferatu"

Nosferatu
F.W. Murnau, 1921

Well, here we are again in the age of the silents. Nosferatu, the granddaddy of the horror genre, is among the oldest of the Great Movies, and looks it. Whether from the limitations inherent during film or through decay over time, the film itself is brittle-looking and riddled with flaws and jerks. It's only seven years older than The Passion of Joan of Arc, for instance, but it looks like it comes from another time. This antique quality lends it a certain charm, however, and makes it easier to appreciate without adverse comparisons with the technical slickness of modern films.

On its own terms, Nosferatu is a special-effects spectacular. Almost all of the actual special effects would look ridiculously crude in a movie today, but its use of stop-motion, fast-forward motion, colored filters, moving cameras, and photonegative must have dazzled the watchers back in the day. The stagecraft, moreover -- the use of good old fashioned makeup, costuming, and sets -- would be masterful in any era.

Some of the most vivid shots, such as the famous shadow of the vampire climbing the stairs toward his victim, probably made the original viewers leap out of their chairs. Some of the subtler shots are even more effective, though. Near the end there is a view that encompasses an entire bedroom; a victim lies on the bed, with the vampire's head just barely visible, quietly feeding at her neck. The animal compulsion suggested by this quick scene is far creepier than the beast-attacking-the-terrified-maiden sequence that precedes it.

Plot: A young assistant realtor travels to Transylvania, where a client has expressed interest in buying a second home in his little German town. The client proves difficult to work with. There is some business about plague and, of course, quite a bit of business about vampirism. The connection between the two is never really made clear, but I suppose that's niggling.

Visuals: Oops, I already talked about the visuals above. One thing I didn't mention, though, is Murnau's terrific use of settings. From mountain scenery, to the Count's castle, to the streetscapes of the charming little town, the action is always compellingly framed in interesting scenery.

Dialog: n/a. Fairly heavy use of dialog title cards. Murnau also uses shots of books and other documents to convey plot information.

Prognosis: Although not quite as artistically sophisticated as The Passion of Joan of Arc, Nosferatu is an immaculately crafted film. Despite its age, it may retain some campy entertainment value for horror fans or vampire buffs. Those on the History of Film Grand Tour are likely to find it one of the most enjoyable of the silent-era stops.