Runtime: 107 minutes
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor, Walter Ladengast
From: Several different West German/French companies
The Dracula tale is old-hat to me by now but done with Klaus Kinski as Nosferatu as in the famed 1922 movie directed as a Gothic delight by Werner Herzog—yes, please. The film's on Prime and as it seems now that at least once a year I need to see a version of the Dracula tale that has the expected players (Van Helsing, the deranged Renfield, Jonathan Harker, Mina, Lucy, the Borgo Pass, etc.) + there's the upcoming Robert Eggars movie in December; made sense for me to give this a shot now. This film pays tribute to the 1922 movie via various homages; the new movie likely will be even more faithful.
The film I was enraptured with from beginning to end as the story slowly unfurls. Even if the beats were familiar, filming in Europe was an asset. As well as various adaptations have brought the continent in the 19th century to life via sets and whatnot, there's something to be said for filming in actual locations (a Dutch town substituting for the German town, what's now the Czech Republic substituting for Transylvania) and using natural lighting in these scenic locations. A major highlight here was the apparent witchcraft done by Herzog to make both the daytime and nighttime scenes looks rather resplendent.
It was a well-filmed production with scenic locations throughout, a nice score from Popol Vuh/various opera/classical tracks, and most importantly, the performances. You definitely have to separate the art from the artist w/ Kinski but he nailed Nosferatu as a grotesque monster who nonetheless still felt tragic as he bemoaned his immortal, inhuman curse. Isabelle Adjani was more than a pretty face as Lucy, a gal who had to get s*** done on her own as men were men there (OK, they usually still are) who don't believe the “hysterical” woman. Bruno Ganz was also memorable as Harker.
As this included both religious faith and Nosferatu's connection with the plague/rats, this further made this oft-told tale feel distinctive rather than a rehash. This is why Nosferatu the Vampyre is worthy of viewing no matter how many other Dracula adaptations you've experienced.
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