Nosferatu

Synopsis

Shadows lengthen over the town of Wisborg as the estate agent Hutter travels to Transylvania, unknowingly selling a house to the vampire Count Orlok. This unauthorized adaptation of Dracula replaces the urbane count with a rat-like creature of pestilence who brings death wherever he sails. F.W. Murnau’s mastery of light and shadow created an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere that defined the horror genre, making Max Schreck’s terrifying performance an enduring icon of cinema.

Critique

F.W. Murnau’s unauthorized adaptation of Dracula created the visual language of vampire cinema. By moving horror out of gothic castles and into the real world, he made the supernatural feel terrifyingly plausible. Max Schreck’s rat-like Count Orlok is an icon of pestilence, far removed from later romanticized vampires. The film’s use of shadows, location shooting, and negative film effects established an eerie atmosphere that defined the genre. It remains a masterpiece of German Expressionism, embodying the pure, primal fear of the unknown.

Technical sheet

Director

F. W. Murnau

Original title

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens

Year

1922

Country

Germany

Running time

94 min

Genre

Horror, Fantasy

Written by

Bram Stoker, Henrik Galeen

Cinematography

Günther Krampf, Fritz Arno Wagner

Cast

Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder, Georg H. Schnell, Ruth Landshoff, Gustav Botz

Production

Prana-Film

Music

Newly composed original score

Licensing