Because he could not afford the copyright for Stoker’s novel, Murnau had to change the names of the characters and a few details of the story for his adaptation, in 1922. He nonetheless ended up being sued by Bram Stoker’s wife, and copies of his movie were to be destroyed. Hopefully, not all of the were, so that posterity could keep holding its breath, fascinated by this dark gem of German expressionnism.
Murnau’s “Nosferatu”, starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, Gustav von Wangenheim as Thomas Hutter, the agent, Greta Schröder as Ellen Hutter, is a silent movie. First released in black and white and then colorized to provide an effect of distinction between day and night, the second version was not so relevant because of the already very strong images and contrasts the movie is filled with.
Expressionnism is a way to contradict reality, to intentionally deface it so that some deeper emotions could come to light. The special effects are coarse, they are not intended to be realistic whatsoever : daylight is a short relief until the deadly night reawakens his appetite for blood : shots in back light enhances the jagged line of the cold Carpates, or the evil shape of the ship heading for Wisborg. There is no scarce use of mist to signify the ascendancy of the power of darkness over human beings. The most famous scene is a play on shadows : here the long nailed and gross hand of the vampire approaching the door handle of Ellen’s room. Though having a particularly disgraceful outline, his silhouette is magnified by the shed of light that we can imagine, in a way that makes us consider no longer his ugliness. The rough features of his face disappear behind his desire to possess the young woman, how fascinated and moved he can be while approaching this irresistible throat to plant his teeth in.
Murnau adds a tragedy trick that makes his version deviate from the original novel: the killing of the vampire requires the sacrifice of a pure woman, to make him forget about the sunrise that is lethal to him. Which results into a soul-stirring scene where he can’t help but approach the glare of the first sunrays, to turn into dust in the same plan. In a word, this movie revealed all the poetic potential of the novel.
Big Picture Of The Word 