Blog Post #9 : Nosferatu (1922) Review

Nosferatu (1922) is a classic film, and was one of many that helped cement the story of Dracula in pop culture for good. Despite the limitations of the times, and the lack of dialogue, it manages to communicate the horror of Count Orlok in a way that is memorable almost 100 years later. Actors in the film perform their roles well, and use body language very skillfully, especially Max Schreck, who plays Count Orlok. He manages to convey the inhuman nature of the Count by using stiff, slow movements and creepy facial expressions.

Despite the monochrome nature of the film, it manages to use color effectively through the use of tints. Normally it simply uses orange to communicate a lit scene and blue for dark scenes, but in certain moments it uses the bright orange tint to add to the action of an eventful scene. An example of this is when Count Orlok enters Hutter’s room in the castle, looming over him for a moment and then leaving. The orange tint in this scene communicates the intent for tense scenario because of the colors warm, active nature.

The soundtrack is another iconic aspect of this film, though I feel like in certain places it could use a bit more variation in the mood it portrays. For example, in the scene on the beach with the two women the visuals seem to portray a lack of action — at least at first — while the music continues with its high energy, horror-inducing melodies. Another sometimes weak aspect of the film are its cuts; some of the actions performed by actors don’t have follow through from one cut to the next. Like in one scene Ellen in moving in from a hug, and it cuts to a closeup where she has completely stopped. It’s not a big issue, especially given how much of an unexplored medium movies were then when compared to today.

As for how it relates to the original Dracula from Bram Stoker, the film is very faithful. It’s easy to connect scenes from Nosferatu to the original novel, though many are missing most likely because of time constraints. Overall the important information from the novel is presented in a similar way in most scenes, and the film even keeps some of the bigger themes like the plague and sexuality.

Overall, it’s easy to see why this film is so iconic. It definitely deserves the praise it has received, and serves as a good example of a faithful adaptation.