Nosferatu Full Evaluation

Film Title:  Nosferatu (1922)

Genre/Genres: Thriller, Horror

Director: F.W. Murnau

Personal Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

Thomas Hutter lives in the fictitious German city of Wisborg. His employer, Knock, sends Hutter to Transylvania to visit a new client named Count Orlok who wishes to purchase a home just across from Hutter and his attractive wife.  Upon his arrival he is taken close to the counts home in Transylvania, yet all of the town’s people seem abrasive upon nearing the castle due to a recent plague of missing people. Eventually Hutter arrives and the count happily obliges to buy the home after admiring an image of Hutter’s wife. After becoming suspicious of the counts sleeping patterns, and marks on his neck, Hutter decides to investigate, when he stumbles upon the counts crypt. In a state of shock he runs to his room.  He sends word of warning to his wife before passing out. The count then sneaks away in the dead of night in coffins bound for Hutter’s home; locking Hutter in his room in the process. In a failed attempt to escape Hutter falls from a makeshift rope and is taken to hospital. Throughout the journey Orlok causes much damage and is attributed with causing a plague. Hutter’s wife researches vampires in the meantime and discovers they can be killed by pure virgins and decides she is willing to sacrifice herself for the later good. Hutter awakes from his illness and rushes to his wife’s aid, but in his poor state is once more admitted to a psych hospital and in mass hysteria, blamed for the plague. Orlok arrives to find a willing wife, but caught in the moment; forgets the time, and is destroyed by the sun’s rays. Hutter eventually escapes, ending on a scene where he and his wife are seen embracing, celebrating the evil counts demise.

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?

One scene that impressed me was towards the end when she sacrifices herself to kill the vampire. A mix of conventions is used to explore the scene and intrigue the audience. The first of which is cinematography. Throughout the scene a mix of shots are used in order to convey messages of horror and a lack of escape. The first of which is the low angle shot looking up towards Nosferatu in the building across the road. This immediately establishes both the power relationship and Nosferatu as the antagonist.  The cinematography also uses candid angles to enable them to use shadows. This is clear in the final moments of the scene when the shadow of Nosferatu takes the heart of the helpless women. This strange use of cinematography and shadows is conventional of the horror genres as shadows/ things that are there but can’t be seen are typical of the genre. The next convention that stands out in this scene is the setting. The domestic setting of the bedroom offset against an industrial background in the middle of the night heavily connotes the horror genre.  The domestic and small room with only one door helps establish a feeling of no escape, while the industrial background clashes with the home, a metaphor for the clash of evil outside and home within.  The general mise-en-scene of the piece also adds to the horror of the piece. While the character of Nosferatu quickly establishes horror through body language and his general attire, the whites worn by the women and her weak movements help to establish her as vulnerable and as Nosferatu preparing to take advantage, typical of the horror genre.

Another interesting scene is the counts escape from the castle and subsequent entrapment of Thomas. This appeals to a horror audience and connotes the genre in several ways. The first of which is setting. The eerie background of the dark castle and nigh time setting helps to establish a feel of horror from the very beginning. The next convention of horror is the use of props. Nosferatu uses coffins to transport himself to Thomas’ wife. Not only do the coffins bare religious connotation (Typical of the genre) but they also emphasise the lack of escape and lack of escape from the fate of his wife due to their isolated interiors.  The general mise-en-scene also helps to build an air of horror and mystery. The attire worn by both men speaks to this. While Thomas wears very little the colours he wears connotes purity, whereas the counts dark attire paints him as the antagonist and helps in his character development.

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of filmmaking? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?

Which aspects of the film would you like to include in your own trailer? Why?

The main aspects I wish to incorporate in my own film are firstly the mise-en-scene. Be it through the acting and body language of my cast to provide character development, or the iconography associated with their attire (i.e. mask) I would also like to use a mix of cinematography. This is a key principle in features but even more so in indie film making and I believe a mix of conventional shots mixed with candid angles and hand held shots would really compliment my film. I would also like to add both diegetic and non-diegetic sound in order to build pace and excitement through pitch and tone.

What aspects of the film would you like to avoid in your own trailer? Why?

I would like to avoid giving too much of the narrative structure away, as is typical of contemporary horror’s nowadays.  I would also like to steer clear of dead in the water film. This means a lack of music and dull sequences. Short and sweet with plenty of action to keep my audience intrigued, while using conventional iconography to establish genre.

What was the best aspect/ more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? How can you recreate this in your own trailer? How?

The most enjoyable moment of the film for me was the ending. The use of quick action and fast cinematography (i.e. eye line matches/ shot-reverse-shots) kept me in the moment, while the general mise-en-scene of the scene clearly established genre and the antagonist. It gave a well-structured end and sense of finish.

How does the film show the influence of its "auteur" director? How does it show the director's filmmaking style and soul? Give examples of three scenes from the movie that show their auteur style.

The film’s director is highly acclaimed as one of the forefathers of the horror genre, and Nosferatu itself is quoted as being one of the first real horrors.  This is due to German expressionism and these films heavy ties to the early movement of horror as a genre.