Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
It’s Nosferatu week! I’m reviewing each adaptation of this story before my review of the 2024 release.
An unauthorized silent film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
Plot: The story is based on Dracula, with names and details changed. Vampire Count Orlok attempts to prey upon the wife of his estate agent, bringing the plague and other horrors to their town in Germany.
Opinion: Having been made in 1922, Nosferatu is a silent film. There are brief notes to provide some background and move the plot along, as well as sentences of dialogue that appear on screen to portray short conversations.
It’s a bit of a tedious watch. The lack of dialogue is tough and the acting is not great by today’s standards. The expressions and actions had to be more exaggerated to make up for the lack of spoken word, but it comes across a bit cheesy and over the top. There is a haunting choral score that doesn’t really add much and droned on and on. It’s hard to rate a film like this because it’s not incredibly enjoyable to watch but it is impactful and important for the film and horror movie industry.
The film quality is poor, as to be expected, but it’s really not that bad for a movie that’s over 100 (!) years old. Following a copyright lawsuit from Stoker’s estate, all copies were ordered to be destroyed. Luckily for the sake of cinema, some survived.
The use of shadows is incredible and probably one of the best elements of the film. There’s also a decently spooky atmosphere, increased by lines like “And when he crossed the bridge, the phantoms cane to meet him.” Overall, it’s worth a watch if you’re interested in early cinema.
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