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This silent film masterpiece, designed by Albin Grau and directed
by F. W. Murnau, one of the three (with Fritz Lang and Ernst Lubitsch)
masters of the German cinema, is an adaption of Bram Stoker's classic novel
Dracula.
In the 1830's, Hutter, the young clerk of a real estate agent,
leaves his wife Nina in order to conduct the sale of some property with
the mysterious Cound Orlock (Nosferatu) in Transylvania. He falls
in the clutches of the Count but escapes. Leaving his castle with
a number of earth-filled coffins, the Count travels by ship to Bremen.
The entire crew of the ship dies, and when it arrives in port, a swarm
of rats descends upon the city. Meanwhile, Hutter has returned to
Nina with his tale of the Count. She resolves to destroy the vampire
by keeping him at her bedside until sunrise, when the sun's rays will desroy
the monster's body.
Murnau's inspired editing, lighting and direction and the performanceby
Max Schreck as the vampire with taloned fingers, long pointy ears and jerky
walk maks Nosferatu a true "Symphony of Horror."
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What can I say about this one. That is, besides giving it
credit for being the original Dracula movie. Well, I'll tell you
this, Nosferatu is the classic vampire movie, the grandaddy of them all.
This is a must see, must own video for any vampire fan. One more
other suggestion, watch this movie with the lights out, the Dracula soundtrack
playing in the background, and the fresh blood of a barely alive victim
to drink.
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