Nosferatu review

[Westside Steve]

Nosferatu

Focus

R. 132 min

I don’t doubt that F W Murnau's 1922 black and white horror classic NOSFERATU was a big deal in its day. Frankly I've never seen it and all I know is that that vampire is the photo that graces a bottle of Great Lakes Brewing Company strong ale of the same name. You folks know my policy about not reading press until I've seen the movie and for that reason it wasn't until I saw Joe at the Lake 8 cinemas that I knew this was a Robert Eggers flick. Maybe I should have guessed seeing Bill Skarsgard and Willem Dafoe on the same roster but what the heck? None of his films are traditionally entertaining and a variety of adjectives could be applied not the least of which unique. I don't remember THE WITCH but I remember THE NORTHMAN and THE LIGHTHOUSE. And I remember both of them being extremely well acted completely surreal compelling but honestly not the slightest bit of fun. Same deal, almost, with NOSFERATU. First of all it isn't particularly unique, it's just another version of The Count Dracula story with a slightly different twist on the undead demon himself. Yes, the main character has changed over the years from the iconic Bella Lugosi to the over-the-top transformative Gary Oldman and the debonair romantic Frank Langella. The Count wants to move to a more populated area from which he can pick and choose from a lot more victims to satisfy his never-ending blood lust. Vampire legend has apparently changed a bit and now they can cross running water by being packed in a box of soil from their original grave sites. Also, this one seems to drop the idea that a Vampire must be freely invited in to someone's home or, I guess, someone's mind. I would argue that coming into one's dreams and blackmailing them into accepting your demands isn't playing by the letter of the law because it's not actual free will, but I digress. It seems his plan includes persuading Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) to accept him as her husband and abandoned her actual spouse and in doing so offering him the freedom from his eternal damnation. (Why am I thinking Beetlejuice here?) Everything about the set design appears to be purposely uncomfortable either snowing, blinding rain or fog. There's also a lot of attention paid to science versus superstition with science being pretty much limited to bloodletting and quarantining and burning plague victims. (Hint for the villagers , it ain't the plague, it's the devil ) Did I mention there were lots of rats? And just to keep the entire production as disgusting as possible there's also lots of vomit. There is an ending that I didn't necessarily see coming because I don't know exactly how the German version ended; it's up to you to find that out should you decide to take the challenge. I personally didn't like it and don't think it was as Innovative as the other Eggert works.

D+

WSS

 

 

[nickers]

13 hours ago, Westside Steve said:

Nosferatu

Focus

R. 132 min

I don’t doubt that F W Murnau's 1922 black and white horror classic NOSFERATU was a big deal in its day. Frankly I've never seen it and all I know is that that vampire is the photo that graces a bottle of Great Lakes Brewing Company strong ale of the same name. You folks know my policy about not reading press until I've seen the movie and for that reason it wasn't until I saw Joe at the Lake 8 cinemas that I knew this was a Robert Eggers flick. Maybe I should have guessed seeing Bill Skarsgard and Willem Dafoe on the same roster but what the heck? None of his films are traditionally entertaining and a variety of adjectives could be applied not the least of which unique. I don't remember THE WITCH but I remember THE NORTHMAN and THE LIGHTHOUSE. And I remember both of them being extremely well acted completely surreal compelling but honestly not the slightest bit of fun. Same deal, almost, with NOSFERATU. First of all it isn't particularly unique, it's just another version of The Count Dracula story with a slightly different twist on the undead demon himself. Yes, the main character has changed over the years from the iconic Bella Lugosi to the over-the-top transformative Gary Oldman and the debonair romantic Frank Langella. The Count wants to move to a more populated area from which he can pick and choose from a lot more victims to satisfy his never-ending blood lust. Vampire legend has apparently changed a bit and now they can cross running water by being packed in a box of soil from their original grave sites. Also, this one seems to drop the idea that a Vampire must be freely invited in to someone's home or, I guess, someone's mind. I would argue that coming into one's dreams and blackmailing them into accepting your demands isn't playing by the letter of the law because it's not actual free will, but I digress. It seems his plan includes persuading Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) to accept him as her husband and abandoned her actual spouse and in doing so offering him the freedom from his eternal damnation. (Why am I thinking Beetlejuice here?) Everything about the set design appears to be purposely uncomfortable either snowing, blinding rain or fog. There's also a lot of attention paid to science versus superstition with science being pretty much limited to bloodletting and quarantining and burning plague victims. (Hint for the villagers , it ain't the plague, it's the devil ) Did I mention there were lots of rats? And just to keep the entire production as disgusting as possible there's also lots of vomit. There is an ending that I didn't necessarily see coming because I don't know exactly how the German version ended; it's up to you to find that out should you decide to take the challenge. I personally didn't like it and don't think it was as Innovative as the other Eggert works.

D+

WSS

 

 

Besides,Langella,Oldman and Lugosi... I thought both Jack Palance and Christopher lee did nice interpretations of Dracula... I think Lee was everybit as debonaire.. Palance had a very dominant presence but.. He does in just about every character he's played but a great diverse actor none the less...