Monday, October 19, 2009

October 18, 2009

Nosferatu (1922)
This has often been called one of the scariest adaptations of Dracula ever. I'm inclined to agree with that - even with a static soundtrack (instead of one that was improvised by the pianist and changed with each showing) and deteriorated quality of the print (though it's far better than some other films surviving of the time), it's very chilling. It's interesting, because according to Wikipedia, F.W. Murneau had to change several of the names and events that pointed to it being a version of Dracula, due to copyright laws, but the version I watched very clearly called them Dracula, Jonathan Harker, etc. The only difference is that Mina Harker became Nina Harker. I love German Expressionism, which this movie falls under, for its shadows and hard angles, and twisted views of society. I think that modern horror owes a lot to this movement. It is amusing to me, though, that Dracula (or Count Orlaf, depending I guess on what version you're watching) thinks that anyone wouldn't be able to tell he's a vampire - the makeup that they put him in leaves no question.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars

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