Nosferatu (1922) - A RM&T Lookback Review

Welcome to the first installment of my Lookback Review series, in which I will be reviewing films made and released in the 20th century, and I mean by that is I will be looking back into the early days of when film was at its peak, when film is seen as either a creative art form, which it still is these days, don’t get wrong, but I mean back when it was still fresh, new and making boundaries and pushing risk. The reason I’m doing this is that it feels important for me to review these for not just the sake of variety for the blog site, but I also feel that this’ll help educate and understand those who wish to learn and understand so they too can appreciate the history of the medium like I do.

For my first Lookback review, I’ll be talking about Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, which is German for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, or also just simply known Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau, and was released in Germany in 1922 during the silent era and in black and white, as most films of that time. This is what could be known as the first of the many, many, many films centered on vampires. Interestingly enough, the film had the complicated story as it was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stroker’s Dracula, so therefore the screenwriter had to make several changes, such as the various names of characters, for example, the word “vampire” became “nosferatu” and “Count Dracula” became “Count Orlok”. The heirs of Stroker sued the studio over the adaptation and a court ruling was ordered that all copies be destroyed, but however, a few remaining prints survived and seven years after its original German release, the film made its premiere in the United States in 1929 and has since been regarded as an influential cinematic masterpiece. But take it for granted that this is gonna be my very first time reviewing a 1922 B&W silent film, meaning that I’ll have very little material for me to work with, but I’ll still be fair with my thoughts on it, which begs the question, does Nosferatu still hold up to this day or is this one those films that’s been too praised simply because its praised?

The film follows a young man named Thomas Hutter, the German film adapted version of Jonathan Harker, who’s sent to Transylvania by his eccentric employer to meet with Count Orlok on buying a building close to their workplace. After his long journey, Thomas, who despite receiving warnings from the locals, arrives to meet the Count, who seems inhuman and from then on, strange mysterious things begin to happen to Thomas, his wife and other local townspeople as well. The story is simple to follow, and for a film of, I kid you not, an hour and 16 minutes, it surprisingly feels long and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Think about those who saw the film back then, it must’ve felt like a marathon for them, and I now understand that aspect, which is interesting. The films opens with organ music playing, which is properly fitting to the gothic atmosphere, especially to when Thomas arrives to Count Orlok’s home, along with the atmosphere as well. The acting, and remember this is all before sound films arrive, is very passable, as you feel like you’re watching a play, and sure, sometimes it feels silly and sometimes over the top to those watching it now, but back then, this is the best acting the cast has delivered. The characters, while again as they’re not the most developed, but are archetypes of the time, are recognizable, which is important to keep track of with Thomas as the main protagonist, Ellen (the German Mina Harker) is the love interest, Thomas’s employer (the odd old man), and then there’s the most recognizable of them all, Count Orlok, the main antagonist, played chillingly by Max Schreck, as you can’t help but wonder if that’s how the actor looks like or he’s wearing makeup for effect. Oh and if you’re wondering about Professor Van Helsing, well… he’s just a supportive character who surprisingly doesn’t do much, but then again, this is the first of many portrayals before he’d become more recognizable in future Dracula films. The effects of the time, from simple stop motion and vanishing effects, look nicely done, and the camerawork is quite simply impressive.

But how is its impact overall? After seeing it, then analyzing it, it’s clear as to why its regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, from its gothic atmosphere, the German expressionistic style, the director’s own interpretation of the classic novel, and of course, Count Orlok himself, particularly his design and presence, and because of it, he’s forever a horror icon. And of course, as I said before, the film is the first of the many adaptations of Dracula, from the 1931 classic with Bela Lugosi as the character, Christopher Lee in the 1958 film, Gary Oldman in the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola-directed adaptation, Gerard Butler in the 2000 Dracula, and Richard Roxburgh in the 2004 action adventure film Van Helsing, and many more. In fact, there’s actually a film that tells the making of Nosferatu that was released in 2000, with John Malkovich as F.W. Murnau and Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck, which I look forward to taking a look at someday. Sure, there may not be many vampire films in recent years, but rest assured, if you ever wonder who’s the true movie vampire, you can always look back to the classic days when vampires were about myth and sophistication, and not sparkly, attractive goths for teenagers to fall for…

Story: 4 / 5

Characters: 3.5 / 5

Production: 4 / 5

Historical impact: 5 / 5

Final rating: 4.5 / 5