Review of Nosferatu (1922) by Jeff Q — 13 Dec 2009

Nosferatu, essentially Bram Stoker?s Dracula, is my first silent film. I like how much more attention must be placed on cinematography, acting, and score in order to make up for the lack of dialogue in this format. Filmed in 1922, it?s unfair to compare to today?s standards, but as an historical marker, I can easily see why Nosferatu is considered a masterpiece. The vampire has been given many different personalities throughout our time, a seductive lover for many years and more recently a hip sex-crazed creature of the night. Nosferatu?s vampire is a despicable and unholy creature without all the baggage dumped on over the years and is more unique by comparison. Ironically, this stripped down version of a vampire ends up being the most edgy vampire I?ve seen and is one of the highlights of the film.

The age of the film spoils its ability to be a shocker, but clearly one can see great talent in FW Murnau?s screen captures and use of lighting without any of today?s technology. As a horror fan, I really enjoyed watching this classic and would certainly recommended it to any other fan. For comparison?s sake, I liked it a s much as White Zombie but not as much as Vampyr.