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sabotai · 04-03-2007, 08:58 PM

Nosferatu (1922)
Directed By: F.W. Murnau
Starring: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroder
Length: 94 min

The makers of this film could not get the rights from Bram Stoker's estate (Bram Stoker's widow), so they just changed the names and places and we have outselves a movie.

Count Orlok (Max Schreck) buys a home in a village far away. Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) travles to Orlok's home in the Carpathian Mountains. One of the coolest scenes in the movie happens here, when Hutter is dropped off far from his destination by the local "taxi". A mysterious coach rides up to him, lets him board, and then takes off. The coach moves at an unnatural speed and travels through a forrest of white trees (the video's color was inverted).

The first half of the film is based heavily on the novel. Essentially the way they get Orlok to the destination is axactly the same. When he meets Hutter, he sees a picture of his lover and immediately falls for her. She also starts to act really weird.

Count Orlok leavs his castle for the town of Wisborg while Hutter is trapped in the castle. However, Hutter manages to escape through a window, but is hurt when he falls. He wakes up in a hospital and leaves to warn the town.

Meanwhile, a new plague has broken out right after Count Orlok's arrival. Hutter manages to make it back to town and tries to protect his wife, but when he leaves to find help after she faints, Orlok makes his move.

I was very disappointed in the ending. Orlok just simply forgot that the sun was about to rise? He doesn't keep track of the time. Anyway, after he feeds on Hutter's wife, he steps back into the sunlight of the recently risen sun and is destroyed. Hutter's wife is dead (that's kinda cool).

This was the first movie on my list where I have already seen the movie. However, that was over 10 years ago when I watched in a high school German class. I liked it back then, I loved it now (despite the ending, but I've grown used to these "dumb-dumb" endings, where the villian just suddenly acts like a "dumb-dumb" and is defeated.).

I don't think I could describe the creepiness of this movie effectively. Unlike over German movies I have seen to this point (the early German Expressionist films featuring twisted, surreal enviroments), this one goes another direction. It's big. As it, BIG. The doorways are huge, the buildings are huge, the windows are huge. Everything was purposely made large, but it was also shot largely "on location". The castle scenes at Count Orlok's castle were shot at an actual castle , for just one example. The DVD had a slide show of the on location scenes.

And of course, the scenes only showing Orlok's shadow were very nicely done. Almost a testiment about how America was always about mass producing the same cookie-cutter plots while you have to go to the "indie" scene (which was nonexistant in America at the time, and I'm not sure you could call these German films "indie", but I think they had a diffrent business structure from the American studios) to get the real innovation.

Max Schrek made me shiver. Well not shiver, but the before mentioned shiver down my spine was no joke. When Hutter opens a door after suspecting Orlok is a vampire, there is Count Orlok, staring at him.

Entertainment Rating: 8/10
Historical Rating: 9/10

04-03-2007, 08:58 PM	#85
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Nosferatu (1922) Directed By: F.W. Murnau Starring: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroder Length: 94 min The makers of this film could not get the rights from Bram Stoker's estate (Bram Stoker's widow), so they just changed the names and places and we have outselves a movie. Count Orlok (Max Schreck) buys a home in a village far away. Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) travles to Orlok's home in the Carpathian Mountains. One of the coolest scenes in the movie happens here, when Hutter is dropped off far from his destination by the local "taxi". A mysterious coach rides up to him, lets him board, and then takes off. The coach moves at an unnatural speed and travels through a forrest of white trees (the video's color was inverted). The first half of the film is based heavily on the novel. Essentially the way they get Orlok to the destination is axactly the same. When he meets Hutter, he sees a picture of his lover and immediately falls for her. She also starts to act really weird. Count Orlok leavs his castle for the town of Wisborg while Hutter is trapped in the castle. However, Hutter manages to escape through a window, but is hurt when he falls. He wakes up in a hospital and leaves to warn the town. Meanwhile, a new plague has broken out right after Count Orlok's arrival. Hutter manages to make it back to town and tries to protect his wife, but when he leaves to find help after she faints, Orlok makes his move. I was very disappointed in the ending. Orlok just simply forgot that the sun was about to rise? He doesn't keep track of the time. Anyway, after he feeds on Hutter's wife, he steps back into the sunlight of the recently risen sun and is destroyed. Hutter's wife is dead (that's kinda cool). This was the first movie on my list where I have already seen the movie. However, that was over 10 years ago when I watched in a high school German class. I liked it back then, I loved it now (despite the ending, but I've grown used to these "dumb-dumb" endings, where the villian just suddenly acts like a "dumb-dumb" and is defeated.). I don't think I could describe the creepiness of this movie effectively. Unlike over German movies I have seen to this point (the early German Expressionist films featuring twisted, surreal enviroments), this one goes another direction. It's big. As it, BIG. The doorways are huge, the buildings are huge, the windows are huge. Everything was purposely made large, but it was also shot largely "on location". The castle scenes at Count Orlok's castle were shot at an actual castle , for just one example. The DVD had a slide show of the on location scenes. And of course, the scenes only showing Orlok's shadow were very nicely done. Almost a testiment about how America was always about mass producing the same cookie-cutter plots while you have to go to the "indie" scene (which was nonexistant in America at the time, and I'm not sure you could call these German films "indie", but I think they had a diffrent business structure from the American studios) to get the real innovation. Max Schrek made me shiver. Well not shiver, but the before mentioned shiver down my spine was no joke. When Hutter opens a door after suspecting Orlok is a vampire, there is Count Orlok, staring at him. Entertainment Rating: 8/10 Historical Rating: 9/10 Last edited by sabotai : 05-03-2009 at 09:42 PM.