MTMU Reviews: Nosferatu

I’ve always been interested with the idea of the supernatural; ghosts, zombies, monsters, but
the lore and mythology of the vampire has always fascinated me. I read Dracula as a
sophomore, but as a naïve 16 year old, I read it simply as a horror novel. When I was 17, a
friend took me to see Francis Ford Coppola’s film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” in the theater and
laughed at how I was overwhelmed with the themes of occultism, the amount of blood, and the
eroticism. As a senior in Honor’s English, I was required to write a research paper on a novel
and I decided to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Dracula. We took a field trip
to the University of Utah library, and while other’s poured over piles of books, I discovered that
I could watch the 1922 film “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” and my love of vampire movies
was confirmed.

I’ve seen a lot of vampire movies in the years since and the genre is flooded with mediocre
films that repeat the same tropes and themes and it’s almost a parody of itself. A few films
have stood out, like Abel Ferrara’s “The Addiction” and “What We Do in the Shadows” but I
wasn’t sure that a remake of Nosferatu would genuinely scare and disturb me, but Robert
Eggers proved me wrong.

Even though this is a retelling of the Nosferatu story, which in turn is a retelling of the original
“Dracula” story written by Bram Stoker, and though I knew what all the main story beats would
be, this film gripped me. Eggers uses long takes that linger but the scenes never feel slow. His
camera floats among the characters making the audience a silent observer and participant. The
cinematography is my favorite of the year – with his use of sheer blacks that create deep
shadows where your imagination is free to create the horrors that might be hiding inside. This is
a film you need to see on the big screen with the best projection possible. On consumer TV’s,
those blacks might not be able to handle the extreme contrast and appreciate the deep blacks.
The film is shot in color, but uses the same custom filter they created for “The Lighthouse” but
this time with color stock instead of black and white. However, this filter almost makes the
movie monochromatic. The vast majority of the film takes place at night and the rich, crisp, and
black shadows are basically a character in their own right.

The sound design on “Nosferatu” is also one of my favorites of the year. Since Count Orlok is
kept mostly in shadows for the majority of the movie, the sound design is used to help deliver
character to the audience. Bill Skarsgård’s voice is deep and heavy with the Eastern European
accent. His breathing sounds like two dry leather bags rubbing against each other, as if each of
his lungs have lost all moisture and it’s a struggle for each breath. Skarsgård worked with an
opera coach to lower his voice an entire octave, there was limited ADR work and there was no
EQ manipulation to make it deeper or more unusual, it’s all done by the actor, and it’s
unrecognizable. Scenes without dialogue are not silent, the howling wind or the creaking of a
door add to the unnerving feeling Eggers is creating.

The film is an absolute masterclass in filmmaking, from the first reveal of Orlok with his shadow
cast on the drapes moving in the wind, to the outstretched hand of Orlok reaching out across
the city and eventually casting the entirety of it in his shadow. The strong acting of Hoult,

Dafoe, Skarsgård, Depp, Taylor Johnson all have moments to shine. The soundtrack builds
atmosphere and emphasizes the events taking place on screen. This is a film that will be studied
extensively in film schools and it’s great to see a film with such artistic elements also be so
accessible to a general audience. Seeing German Expressionism cinematography playing to a
sold out audience on Christmas day is a film lover’s dream.

This film is one of the best of the year, and I give it an A.