Nosferatu Vampire – the great classic of silent cinema directed by F. W. Murnau, considered not only the masterpiece of the German director, but also one of the most influential films in the horror genre, the best example of expressionism with all its hallucinatory, distorted and esoteric features. A work that had several problems at the time of its release, in the 1920s, due to various legal controversies that arose from its association with the novel. Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker, although it featured a slightly different plot and new characters.
Nosferatu Vampire, precisely because of this struggle in court, was never able to establish itself on the market (all copies except one were destroyed), despite the undoubted artistic quality and various outbursts of content, but nevertheless achieved immortality thanks to various restorations and analyzes what has been done for years. For a while, American director Robert Eggers working on remake a film that has just finished production. Here’s what we know about the project.
A project based on the philosophy of Eggers
First of all, knowing the filmography of the film director, it is advisable to make an obedient premise: apparently, especially in LighthouseEggers always turned to German expressionism, looking for the same gothic, esoteric and very psychological atmosphere in his cinema. Therefore, it is not surprising that they own Nosferatuwas originally supposed to be the director’s second project after that Witch was received very positively by the public. A feature film that is thus deeply rooted in the author’s philosophy and at the same time represents a return to his cinematic models and inspirations that influenced him the most, but also a serious challenge that allows him to go beyond this type movie. rereading it in a modern way. Unfortunately, however, due to various issues (which we’ll see shortly), the title was put on hold for years to come, but the obsession with the terrible and disturbing Count Orlok never really left Robert Eggers.
Vampire Nosferatu: An Age-old Symphony of Horror
Lots of production problems
It’s been a very long time since it was announced that the director was working on the film, and so it’s clear that there were problems along the way. One of the main reasons that probably contributed to the delay in the entire manufacturing process Nosferatu the cast was chosen, and this we can infer from the fact that the release Harry Styles from the project in 2022 caused a production shutdown. So it goes to show that even in previous years it was not easy to find the right actors for a film and we are willing to bet that even the search location ran into some roadblocks along the way, judging by the sophistication and deep aesthetic that Eggers brings to filming locations. Last but not least, the most serious problem of all is economic: after the release of The Lighthouse, it is probably easier for the director to find funds for Northernerclearly more conventional and commercial than his past work.
A story true to the original?
From what we’ve learned, the plot of the feature film seems to follow the plot of Murnau original film with a synopsis that fits perfectly with what we saw in the 1922 classic: Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a persecuted young woman in 19th century Germany and an ancient Transylvanian vampire who haunts her, bringing with him unspeakable terror. As if that wasn’t enough, the actual presence of characters like Ellen Hutter and her husband Thomas, as well as Knock, only confirms that, at least as a starting point, this could be the plot we already know. However, if one analyzes Robert Eggers’ filmography well, one would think that the story would run into differences that would perhaps be more relevant to our times without, however, distorting the dark and twilight soul of Murnau’s story. On the other hand, Eggers himself has spoken more than once about his deep love for the work, so it is likely that any change will be studied to perfection.
Promising cast
Moving on to another specific element of Nosferatu, i.e. most of the select cast, we understand that it has been studied very deeply by many excellent names in the Hollywood star system. Among them, it certainly stands out Willem Dafoe, who many have already imagined as Count Orlok, but instead he will present the face of his servant Nok, the great manipulator of history from the very beginning. Also, let’s not forget the choice of the two lead actors, the implications for Bill Skarsgard AND Lily Rose Deppas Count Orlok and Ellen Hutter respectively. If the first is definitely an atypical choice, but perfectly matches the rest villains who throughout her career has played Johnny’s daughter, whom we recently saw in Idol, perhaps the most incredible bet, but one that can give us big surprises. On the sidelines, even the presence of such prominent artists as Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Alexander Skarsgård only raises expectations, at least in terms of acting.
Nosferatu, Robert Eggers: “Difficult shooting, but I tried to push myself beyond my limits”
Between ambition and experience
To conclude, there is one final thought about the feature film that stems from Eggers’ recent statement about the film: “I’m trying to go beyond my limits. As always, it was a difficult shoot. Last night we filmed a scene on a ship with a lot of rain and waves, and a rain deflector that is used to deflect rain from the road.” “The lens, it cracked and fogged up. I spent the last few days just working with the Russian sailors on the boat. I’m so glad I did Northerner earlier and learned what I learned. When I think about the production plan for Nosferatu, I’m amazed at how we managed to get to the bottom of it.” Two main points follow from these words: the first concerns the desire of the director to go beyond his limits suggesting a project that is not easy, but artistically rewarding. Secondly, as Eggers described the delay in production, it seems good that we will see Nosferatu many years after the announcement. Over time, in fact, the filmmaker gained the necessary experience, launching, among other things, two films.