Nosferatu

First a weird anecdote:
This summer, before my silent movie addiction had fully kicked in, I ran into the gas station mini-mart to grab a bottle of water. As I’m standing in line, I notice that the man in front of me has Nosferatu tattooed on his shoulder. Now I hadn’t seen the movie, but the image is iconic enough that a classic movie junkie such as myself would be remise not to recognize it. It’s a good thing he was busy paying, because I am sure I was staring at his shoulder with the most perplexed look on my face; it boggled my mind! Why would someone want that macabre version of a vampire permanently affixed to their body? So ever since then, I’ve been a little more intrigued by the original movie and this whole blog thing has given me an excuse to watch it, so I did.

Now, Nosferatu (1922) is known for being terrifying in its time, the prototype for the vampire horror film. Yet vampires and horror films have evolved so much since the silent era that the film’s Count Orlok is almost unrecognizable as a vampire to the modern movie goer. Vampires now are overly romanticized and brooding heroes. Trust me I work in a children’s library; every tween and teen girl is in love with Edward Cullen (Twilight) and I have to be honest True Blood’s Bill Compton is pretty dreamy. The pre-Bela Lugosi vampire of Nosteratu, however, harkens the imagination back to the original “monster,” feared for it’s very unromantic thirst for blood. I must admit that, even with the lights out, it was not the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen – not by a long stretch. But then again, I wasn’t really expecting to be terrified; I recognized how desensitized we have become in this age of special effects, gore and Hitchcock inspired camera angles. However, I was hoping for at least some “creepiness,” and on that point Nosferatu certainly didn’t disappoint. Several of the scenes were startlingly creepy and though the film didn’t conjure nightmares, I definitely wouldn’t want to meet Count Orlok in a dark alley. He’s no Bill Compton! One also has to acknowledge that though in 2009 the film may not be overly terrifying, in 1922 it must have scared the day lights out of people. The elongated claw-like hands, the grotesque face and mouthful of fangs, and the bizarre posture of the vampire were enough to raise the hair on the back of my neck, and I’ve seen 30 Days of Night. I’m sure audiences accustomed to Chaplin, Keaton and Douglas Fairbanks got much more than they bargained for with this vampire…or should I say vampyre!

It’s different, it’s creepy, but if you like silent films and you can appreciate the artistry behind them, check out Nosferatu. I dare Wes Craven to try and scare us without words; I think we would find that F.W. Murnau, did about as fantastic a job as can be done.