|
 Nosferatu is powerful, haunting and above all horrific. I cannot think of a more gut-wrenching version of the Vampyre story than Herzog's version of the original 1922 silent pix. The images are beautifully crafted and wonderfully edited and I was tempted to turn down the volume at a number of the scenes to re-capture my first experience with the silent. But I have to say that the soundtrack is masterful and perfect for this movie. Kinski is almost as convincing as Bela and the two togther are an important contribution to the horror genre on film. A wonderful movie that left me with surrealistic images that will not go away. Isn't that truly horrifying and a masterful tribute to Herzog.
I don't see the emphasis on the "pure" German soundtrack as Isabelle Adjani and the little comic who plays Renfield are both French actors and their voices are overdubbed. Herzog himself also confesses that much of the film was filmed by English speech as it is a more "international language" than is German. Besides, the film just seems to "work" better in English in my opinion (as does Aguierre for other reasons). The image quality is good, but not ultimately great - it's a bit grainy in places. The screen is presented in a shallow 1.85:1 widescreen format and includes a behind the scenes featurette and several trailers. The sound quality is fine, no complaints. Warning - I tried ordering this DVD from [another website], and the order was never fulfilled (they had no copy in any of their warehouses), (...so let that be a plug for Amazon)!!! :-)
The opening sequence, set in a charnel house or a cave, is a rolling long shot of thousands upon thousands of human skulls piled floor to ceiling, with an extraordinarily creepy and haunting choral music background. One of the most disturbing openings of any horror film I've seen ever. The first time you see it, it leaves an indelible impression on your psyche, setting the stage for what will follow. Klaus Kinski's almost literal "inhabitation" of Nosferatu is enhanced by the superbly realistic makeup and prosthetics he wears to effect the look of a gargoyle-turned-vampire. With piercing black eyes like those of a rodent, his is the most intense screen portrayal of any vampire character. Not only he is physically intense (with an almost humbling mien), but he is also a very "human" Nosferatu, in that his sense of aloneness in the world, and his despair is so palpable as to render the darkness around him so much the bleaker. The cinematography draws the landscapes around his castle and the interiors in the brightest of whites and the most sombre of blacks. If you have a choice between the original-language German w/the English subtitles, or the dubbed version, do yourself a tremendous favor and view it in the original. The dubbed English so dilutes the mood of the film, while German fits the story's mood and dialogue so well. This Nosferatu is much more than just a horror film, it also brings poetry and romance to the vampire genre. Stunning.
|
When I saw Nosferatu at a local video store staring out at me. I was stunned. Packaged in its widescreen ratio and newly remastered. I never expected I'd see the film by Werner Herzog, I thought to myself. Back in 1979 I saw a picture in AFI of a scene from the film and a small review about it's coming release, but alas it never came to where I was growing up in Decatur, Il. (Alot of things never came there.) It was a shock when Polanski's TESS came there that same year. But as a fan of the original Marnau film I was a bit excited to see it and then very disapointed when it never arrived. So now finally 20 years later I have seen this film and was stunned. My first thoughts were how could such a great classic be remade in the way it was originally meant but updated with sound and color and be successful at it. The answer. Herzog had indeed suceeded in doing so. His film brings a freshness and bold style that the original could only hint at. Visually it is a masterpiece with every frame looking like a moving painting, the carpathian mountains, the castle, the city, the ship, everything beautiful and frightening to the eye. The scene of the Nosferatu going into Harkers bedroom is quite disturbing. The only thing that didn't succeed for me was the writing. Probably more thought should have gone into making the story a little more exciting and needed more character development, but with the same tone. Example: Mina almost is hardly shown or says anything. Her death leaves us unemotional about it since we really don't know her at all. Plus the lines uttered sometimes come off as contrived and in poor english and don't make sense. A little too much comedy is involved with Van Helsing and Reinfeld and both come off as total idiots. But, its star the late Klaus Kinski is quite frightening and makes us believe he is suffering from loneliness and bitterness, and to be sure, a vampire. Isabelle Adjani is so strikely beautiful that you forget about the lack of character her part has. I wanted more of her by the end and less of Johnathan Harker's character. One scene is quite affective when she realizes Johnathan is crazy and tears fill her eyes, as she pats his hand. The camera stays on both of them, without any cuts and I like that method very much for it's realism ala Bergman. A very affecting scene for her. I have now both the English and German versions and am very happy with both. Anyone who loves horror classics or film history should enjoy this film. I recommend watching with the light out and try not to believe in the Nosferatu!
