Day 2: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror

2. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
Dir: F.W. Murnau
Cast: Max Schrek, Gustav con Wangenheim, Greta Schroder

Directed by one of the greatest filmmakers of the silent era, today's entry is none other than the German film "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror" directed by F.W. Murnau and released in 1922.

In what originally began as an attempt to make a film based upon Bram Stoker's Dracula, German film studio the "Film Arts Guild" couldn't actually obtain the rights to the story and instead would make an unauthorized adaptation that just happened to become one of the greatest vampire movies of all time.

So we basically have the classic Dracula story here with a few tweaks. We have the set up with a real estate employee hired to finalize the sale of a house in the Carpathian Mountains who then goes to meet the owner which is our central vampire character. Though instead of a suave character we get a bald and rat like being named "Count Orlok" played excellently by the very creepy Max Schrek... Why there's even some urban legends that claim Schrek was a real vampire which is basically the subject matter of the 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire which didn't do much for me. Anyways the story unfolds much in the same way as Stoker's novel, with the vampire's arrival in another country stalking and feeding upon citizen's until his eventual demise.



I think it's worth mentioning that the lighting plays a major role in this piece often to portray Orlok's boney silhouette ascending on his victims. I'd also give praise to the iconic makeup of Count Orlok who is easily one of the scariest looking characters in this vast genre. Nosferatu is an interesting subject for any student of film, or basically any horror fan. (The 1979 remake is pretty good too, directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski) If you ever feel like giving this one shot it's in the public domain so you could simply watch it on the web and without feeling guilty. It's still got some eerie entertainment value and a whole lot in the style department

Fright Fact: Claims to have created the concept that Vampires can be killed or harmed by sunlight... Though that ship scene looks mighty bright to me hmm...

Horror Highlight: Orlok aboard the ship