F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu

Is a vampire horror film based on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Nosferatu brings the image of the vampire to life as a hideous and terrifying being. Since Nosferatu, several other films depicting the subject of vampires have hit the silver screen in an attempt to evoke the same atmosphere of eeriness and mysteriousness that Nosferatu induced. Because of the film’s imagery, lighting, and acting, it is no surprise that Nosferatu is so highly revered that it encouraged the production of other films about vampires in later years following its release.

Nosferatu portrays effective imagery that sets the atmosphere of the film. The setting of certain scenes successfully establishes the mood of the scene for the audience.

For instance, scenes inside Hutter and Ellen’s house look very realistic, which makes the scene comfortable to the audience. On the other hand, when Hutter arrives at Count Orlok’s house, the background looks empty and fake. This setting draws out an uncomfortable and untrustworthy atmosphere, which mirror Hutter’s emotions and hesitancy towards Count Orlok.

In addition, Nosferatu has great use of lighting. Stark differences between light and darkness are common throughout the film, which creates a feeling of mysteriousness in the film. Scenes where Count Orlok emerges or retreats from the shadows while looking extremely pale and unflattering reinforces the ghastly nature of the character. Another notable feature of the film is its use of shadows. The scene that shows Count Orlok’s silhouette of his head and hands raised up in a threatening form as he preys on Hutter’s sleeping body truly stands out.

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Murnau’s choice to show a shadow instead of the real character adds a more sinister look to the scene because the shadow takes up most of the screen.

The actors in Nosferatu are very theatrical. Most of the acting is exaggerated with the exception of Count Orlok’s character. Characters like Hutter, Ellen, and Knock use very obvious facial features with extremely slow and wide movements. For example, after eating a meal with Count Orlok, Hutter grows suspicious of him, and he slowly backs away in a scene that took longer than it should have. While most of the actors portrayed theatrical roles, Count Orlok was more subdued. He did not take up most of the space in the scenes, unlike the other characters; Instead, he lurked in place, and when he moved, it was sharp and timely for the character which made him seem strange and unsettling.

Nosferatu moves well to tell the plot of the story. The pacing of this film felt just right; it was neither too slow nor too fast. Part of what made Nosferatu move along was the transition from one scene to another. It felt like there was always something new occurring that kept the audience’s attention. The part in the film where scenes transitioned from taking place in Knock’s cell to the ship to Ellen’s room is one example of how the timely transition of scenes helped pace the film. Though the plot moves well, some scenes felt unnecessary such as the one that focused on the Venus flytrap plant as a comparison to vampires. This scene did not add anything new to the plot or help it move along. Overall, Nosferatu is a well-made film with a great plot and even better imagery and lighting for its time. It is clear to understand why many still praise this film in the modern day.