Nosferatu Review

 ★★★

By Flora Irvine-Hall

Image from IMBd

Does Robert Egger’s latest film have any bite? Or does it leave viewers thirsty for more blood?

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 1922 FILM

Image from Mutant Reviwes

Robert Egger’s Nosferatu is a remake based on  F.W Murnau’s silent film from 1922. What some people may not know however, is that the original screen adaptation of Nosferatu was an unofficial adaptation of the 1897 novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker.

Bram Stoker died  on the 20th of April in 1912 but his widow, Florence Balcombe Stoker, sued the films producers for copyright infringement.

The case for copyright infringement was because the German’s film producers did not have the rights to make a screen adaptation of the novel, despite the fact the opening titles for the film claimed to be an adaptation.

After being appealed twice, in 1925 the courts ordered that all copies of Nosferatu be destroyed.

But matters were still complicated as copies of the film had already made their way to the US, where Dracula was in the public domain.

In order to avoid the lawsuit, the film made some notable changes such as changing to films name to Nosferatu and the main character’s name to Count Orlok.

WHAT MADE ROBERT EGGERS WANT TO DO A REMAKE?

In an interview with Screen Rant, Eggers explained that he wanted to remake Nosferatu because he loved the original film and wanted to explore it through the eyes of the female protagonist. He also wanted to do a film about Balkan and Slavic vampire folklore which he says always frightened him.

HOW DIFFERENT IS THE REMAKE FROM THE 1922 FILM?

Fans of the silent film will be pleased to know that at its core, the remake is very faithful to its source material while having a longer running time, added backstory and more character development.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Image from IMDb

Nosferatu is a gothic tale about a young woman named Ellen (played by Lily-Rose Depp) being haunted and stalked by a terrifying vampire named Count Orlok. The film has themes of mental illness, obsession and love.

THE GOOD

The acting is this film is phenomenal. Everyone’s talent, no matter how small the role, shines through and helps to transport the viewer into a dark but beautiful world. Lily-Rose Depp puts on the performance of a lifetime, perfectly portraying Ellen’s fear and vulnerability. Thomas, (played by Nicholas Hoult) is a very charming and charismatic romantic male lead that is bound to have lots of viewers swooning. Bill Skarsgård is a petrifying Count Orlok and gives further evidence that he’s on the way to becoming a horror legend.

The general tone and colour grading of the film makes the viewer feel uneased in the best way. Even if something frightening isn’t happening, there’s a feeling of dread and anxiety which is an excellent metaphor for mental illness.

Image from IndieWire

The costumes, particularly the ones worn by Ellen are breathtakingly beautiful. Costume designer Linda Muir, helped to add the otherworldly elements of the films with her beautiful gowns and deserves all the awards.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD

This is just a personal preference but I would have liked to have seen the romance between Thomas and Ellen play a bigger part in the story. I feel like this would have heightened the stakes as well as resonating with viewers like me who love both horror and romance.

I do also think that the running time was just a tad too long but granted this is also just a personal preference and probably has more to do with my terrible attention span.

And without wanting to give any spoilers, I do feel like the film could have delved deeper into the subtext of sexual assault.

THE OVERALL VERDICT

Image from The Skinny

If you love Wuthering Heights and other dark gothic tales, it’s likely you’ll get a lot out of this film. If you prefer campier, louder and more OTT horrors, this film may not do it for you.  While I don’t think it’s a contender for one of my all-time favourite horrors, I can certainly appreciate the spectacular acting and crafty storytelling.