Monday Movie 2 – Nosferatu

Nosferatu is a horror movie

directed by F.W. Murnau. I’ve appreciated the fact that it leaves a lot to the imagination. Violence is not too explicit and I like that, as I’m not into gore at all.

It wasn’t a huge success with the public, and it had to deal with legal proceedings

instituted by Bram Stoker’s heirs. The film’s story is in fact based on Stokers Dracula, and his heirs filed a suit for copyright infringement. The court ordered all copies to be destroyed, but one narrowly escaped.

Apparently, it was unusual at the time to shoot a film in the places where the story is actually set,

Eastern Europe in this case, with only a few studio reconstructions. It’s a choice that pays off. The “real” landscape, together with a more expressionist vision, especially (but not only) inside the castle, as well as the play of shadows, increase the intentionally disquieting atmosphere and enhance the suspense in the film.

What I’ve liked least is the acting.

Ok, theatricality was a bit of a must in old cinema (less than we may think, though), but this is taking it too far! Expressions and grimaces are exaggerated to the point of ridiculous, here and there. I’ve also found it a bit too long and heavy at times.

Murnau throws in a couple of very interesting ideas,

but doesn’t develop them much further. One is the punishment for those who do not believe in anything immaterial. Thus, Hutter laughs at the mysterious book and triggers a series of tragedies. The other, even more interesting theme is that of the sacrificial victim. The angry mob looks for a scapegoat to blame for the plague.

The leitmotif seems to be the blood-thirst, which is very understandable. the First World War had just ended and many had sacrificed their lives in that huge carnage.

Monday Movie 2 – Nosferatu is part of the Movieland series. Have a look at the Film vocabulary too! (This is a frequently updated website page).

You can also find more movie-related words here, here or here

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