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. 

Personal Trailer Reviews: Alien

Alien

Year: 1979

Genre: Horror

Personal Mark: 7

The Alien trailer utilizes several of the horror genres key conventions to establish genre and appeal to their target audience.  The first of which is cinematography. Throughout the trailer broad establishing shots of planets are used to establish the film as a hybrid Sifi-horor film. This is once again echoed by the mise-en-scene of the entire trailer. The use of props and costume clearly defines this as a hybrid. (I.e. The space suits, Alien eggs, flashing red lights)  Another good use of horror conventions is the mise-en-scene. The body language and the facial expressions of the actors connote fear well and helps establish the genre. A really iconic convention used in the establishment of the horror genre is the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The use of silence cannot be underrated. It is this silence that helps to establish an air of looming threat and total isolation; both key conventions/ building blocks of the horror genre. However it is also used to create action and add potency to the more gory scenes. This is evident in the gut scene and the music once built up adds to the tension of the scene.

However there is room for improvement. While the sweeping establishing shots boast the features budget and give it wide scope, very little of the narrative is divulged. That’s not to say the narrative isn’t explored, but the audience sees very little in the way of sustenance, instead relying on special effects to intrigue the audience to watch. This also allows for very little character development, meaning very little investment from the audience in the characters.

Overall I gave the trailer a 7. It’s a relatively good trailer that shows its budget of well, but could use more character development for audience investment and intrigue. 

Personal Trailer Reviews: The Exorcist

The Exorcist

Year: 1973

Genre: Horror

Personal Mark: 7

The exorcist utilizes several horror conventions in order to establish genre and appeal to their target audience. The first of which is setting and character. The suburban nuclear family is clearly represented from the get go. This is to appeal to a mainstream audience, thus making as much profit as possible on release. However that being said its subject matter and use of isolation (trapped within the home) would hopefully appeal to outsiders, thus using the genres conventions to appeal to a wide audience. Another key convention they use is both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. This is used throughout the trailer and is used to create a sense of urgency and unrest. They do this by increasing the pace/ tone of the music and character dialogue, alongside using several sound effects for key scenes, such as in the bedroom when it begins to be destroyed. They also use mystery well. They do not, at any point, reveal the face of the protagonist (The exorcist) or the antagonist (possessed girl). This is also complimented by the mise-en-scene. The character body language aids to show character relationships and advance the narratives, while the general use of props and clothing establishes character roles (i.e. Priests) and establishes the general narrative for the audience without giving too much away.

This being said there is still room for improvement. While I understand an air of mystery may provoke intrigue and thus a captivated audience but we do not see our protagonist until the very end. While it interests us as to the who?; It means we are not shown the full scope of the narrative and cannot then invest with the central protagonist.  The use of a very generic setting also bores the audience. While it’s understandable the key action would take place in the bedroom a few varied location shots wouldn’t go amiss, even if just to stimulate the audience.

Overall the trailer is relatively well put together, building pace through sound and cinematography, but it could be improved with a variety of locations and the establishment of the antagonist.

Personal Trailer Reviews: The Shinning

The Shinning

Year: 1980

Genre: Horror

Personal Mark: 8

The Shinning utilizes several of the horror genres key conventions in order to establish the film and intrigue their target audience. They first do this through cinematography. Throughout the trailer they use a wide array of establishing shots of a mountain/wooded isolated area. The exploration of this isolation is both key to establishing the motive to the narrative, but also to add a looming sense of threat commonly found within the genre. Another key convention the use is the mise-en-scene. Everything from symbolic coloured clothing to strong, bold body language is used to establish dominance and the antagonist/protagonist. They also make use of phallic symbols and iconography. This is evident in the husband’s use of a large axe in comparison to the wife’s small knife. This helps to establish the power within the relationship, alongside establishing him as the antagonist.  They also make use of sound and lighting well. The mix of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used to build pace and add potency to reveal scenes in which we see scenes of aggression. Lighting is used well throughout acting as a signifier for the scenes; mood lighting for serious scenes key to the narrative alongside dark colours for moments of passion/ aggression.

While all of this adds up to an acceptable trailer there are still several things that I believe in hind-sight could be improved. While the narrative is established it seems slightly on the nose. I believe they reveal too much, and make it too apparent and inferred that the husband will become the antagonist. While it adds to the narrative it takes away from the general mystery, giving away the end to their audience. The use of the child is done well. It adds another layer of creepiness. However he features for only a small proportion as does the wife. The lack of character development for either characters means the audience does not connect with them and may irritate more than intrigue.

Overall I have given the piece an 8. It is a well put together trailer that flaunts its budget with grand establishing shots but could do with not revealing so much of the narrative and some more character development. 

Evaluation Screening Feedback

Positive:

Creepy music fits well x9

Effective jump scare x9

Good use of close-ups x2

Intertitles conveyed narrative x4

Good acting

Clear narrative x4

Good sound effects x3

Good editing

Negative:

Can’t hear dialogue x7

Sound levels x3

“Coming soon” intertitles needed

More gore x2

Lack of locations

Evaluation Screening of "Captured"

History of Horror

Scaring man with tales of death and nightmares has been a time-honoured tradition. But the first major influences of horror film came from great gothic horror writers, like Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), Bram Stoker (Dracula), and Edgar Allen Poe.

Méliès is credited as making the

first horror film entitled The Manor of the Devil; however it wasn't until the end of WWI that the genre matured from an exploration of the medium to an expression of the human psychological state. And this only came about through the launch of German Expressionism. Films like The Cabinet of Dr. Cagliari and Nosferatu are considered to be German Expressionist films, however the movement itself is quite difficult to define and therefore attribute to only certain works.

It took a small division of RKO, the smallest of the Big 5 studios, to spearhead the making of low-budget horror films, which were more psychological and used more sophisticated filmic techniques, like chiaroscuro lighting instead of relying on makeup and costumes. The first of these films was Cat People.

Push forward to the 70's and early 80's where a string of low-budget independent horror films found great success at the box office with both critics and with hardened fans. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is often considered the film that inspired the entire slasher genre. John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) demonstrated that low-budget horror films can be profitable; With a budget of $325,000, Halloween has gone on to gross $240 million dollars, through sequels and merchandising, making it one of the most profitable independent horror films of all time.

Overall I believe it is fair to say that horror has always existed. However it was first, notably, brought to the screen in the 1900’s-1910, before truly coming in to their own, into the mass of sub genres we have today.  The future of horror looks promising with 4D Technology and horror films at an all time high.