Review of Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) by Matthew D — 05 Aug 2018

Werner Herzog's Classic Remake of F. W. Murnau's Horror Classic.

Werner Herzog clearly idolized the original Nosferatu. He captures the genius of the atmosphere that made the original silent film such a creepy classic in the horror genre. From the long pans of someone walking away to the shadows creeping along walls to lead into the appearance of Nosferatu, Herzog successfully recreates all the most famous and beloved sequences of the original Nosferatu, while adding his own personal touches and depth. Nosferatu is one of Werner Herzog's finest films.

The set pieces and props are even immaculate in their disgusting vibe bringing. The dust and cobwebs in a dreary realistic castle and a man stuck in the middle of the danger. The sets are perfectly uncanny and unsettling. Werner Herzog builds a believable world to haunt you. To help the audience into imaging a town ridden with the plague, Herzog unleashed a horde of rats to inspire images of The Black Death. Herzog's uncomprising dedication to his craft is awe inspiring as it is vile in it's execution to witness. Herzog's world seems so dark.

Herzog's characters are very deep and complex. Herzog's Jonathan Harker is emotional and more relatable than many I've seen. His Renfield is crazier than ever. The Lucy character is given a bigger role than most heroines are ever given, marking Herzog's film as uniquely progressive. She has premonitions of danger to warn Harker, she figures out the secret of the vampire, and she must challenge Nosferatu both romantically and bravely.

Of course, the main draw is German mega star is Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula himself. Kinski's takes up the task of recreating and renewing the magic that was Max Schreck's legendary performance as Nosferatu. Schreck's uniquely grotesque body image is the uncanny horror of the original film. Instead, Klaus Kinski is monstrous uncontrollable who must stalk and seduce his way through eternal life. Kinski's performance is so captivating as his wild crazy eyes are so engaging as his voice and movements are so very subtle. Kinski plays Nosferatu as a sad being cursed to the shadows for eternity. It's so intriguing, especially his speech to Harker and his plea to Lucy wherein Kinski laments his infinite misery. A magnificent acting display which has aged into one of Kinski's finest. Klaus Kinski was born for these shadows.

Overall, I highly recommend Nosferatu the Vampyre as a chilling recreation of perhaps the greatest silent film, certainly the greatest horror film of its era. Werner Herzog proves his film making prowess and Kinski lays down another excellent acting performance.

This film is essentially perfect. It's more detailed and risk taking than the original. Anyone that found the original too slow or not deep enough is sure to be pleased by Herzog's shifting score, faster pace, long pans, thrilling actors, and terrifying sets. It's the ultimate remake.