Blog Post #9 : Nosferatu Film Review
The 1922 film Nosferatu directed by F. W. Murnau as well as the novel it was based on called Dracula by Bram Stoker paved the way for vampires and the genre of horror for generations to come. The film does not disappoint as it is filled with iconic actors and iconic scenes of intensity and artistic visuals that are known by many today.
An important aspect of any great film is great actors. For the most part, the actors of Nosferatu fit this title of “great” perfectly. A silent film requires that its actors are efficient at portraying emotions physically, so the audience can understand what is happening as the film is playing. Max Schreck, the actor cast as Count Orlok is especially efficient at displaying emotion. His posture, unpleasant grin, and eyes that never blink set up one terrifying movie monster in the film. The same could be said for Greta Schröder, the actor that plays Ellen Hutter in the film. She brilliantly portrays fear through her wide eyes and sobbing face allowing viewers to share her fear as the film intensifies. However, Gustav Von Wangenheim the actor cast as Thomas Hutt is a terrible actor. Displaying emotion requires a talent that brings films to life because of the realism in the emotion. Realism is another aspect that makes for a great film. Gustav however over exaggerates his emotions, making him an unlikeable character that acts in a way a normal person would not normally act. An example is a scene where he finds a book of vampires, laughs, and proceeds to throw the book. A simple shrug would have been enough to portray the disbelief of vampires intended by the film. The book toss was simply unnecessary.
The movie as an artistic film is a masterpiece. There were scenes in the film that linked with music to make very memorable moments. One specific instance that portrays this mode of amazing visuals in the film is when Count Orlock stands on the ship. He stands with a menacing and violent posture with his claws, protruding teeth, and pointy ears visible. This visual along with the intense music is sure to keep children up at night. Visual and Aural modes are an important connection just about every film still uses today to portray memorable scenes. Nosferatu was a film that perfected this combination.
Overall, Nosferatu is an amazing film for its time-period and iconic in the current period as well. The use of famous actors, music, realism, and visuals perfected in Nosferatu is still a huge part of films today. Although films have adapted to modern science, the iconic images in Nosferatu remain today, whether it is through new portrayals of Dracula or cameos in Spongebob Squarepants.
