"From Belial's Seed There Sprang the Vampyre Nosferatu, Who Liveth and Feedeth on Human Bloode"

-This review pertains to Kino On Video's Restored Authorized Edition DVD of Nosferatu-

Perhaps the greatest horror film of all time premiered on March 4, 1922 in Berlin. The film would become a classic of both the German cinematic movement of the '20s, as well as being the film that would launch the career of one of cinema's most talented directors, F.W. (Friedrich Wilhelm) Murnau. The film was Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens (the title's translation from German to English is Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror), an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic novel Dracula. What makes Nosferatu one of the eeriest and most memorable of horror films? Well, for starters, unlike most adaptations of Dracula that followed, Nosferatu's vampire count wasn't a suave foreigner in gentlemen's attire. No, he was a repulsive rat-fanged predator, who lurked in the shadows before striking out at his victims.

The conception of Nosferatu as a film is typically credited to Albin Grau, the film's conceptual artist, costume and production designer, who also served in the role of what today we would call a producer. Grau had first become interested in telling a vampire story when he watched a spider methodically wrapping up its prey before feeding off of its vital life juice. Grau felt, similarly as did Murnau, that the Great War (WWI) was an ultimately futile and pointless exercise in violence and that as humanity progresses in a technological sense we are regressing spiritually and intellectually. With the inevitable rise of fascism not far ahead, Grau and Murnau took a deeply pessimistic view of the world. In their eyes we, the human race, were becoming parasites like nosferatu, feeding off of the lives of others to ensure our own sickly survival. The age of vampirism had arrived.

Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe was born in Westphalia, Germany on December 28 of 1888. During his early years he lead a quiet life, preferring the company of books and political magazines to the company of his own peers. Much like his mother, Otilie, Friedrich showed a natural appreciation and understanding of the arts. He would often help his siblings put on puppet shows, which he would usually create the sets for.

Later, Friedrich decided that he would pursue a career in acting, which greatly displeased his stern father, Heinrich. However, Friedrich refused to compromise himself. He could not win the respect of his father as an actor and he could not earn his acceptance as a homosexual, so he left his home and sought out the world of art and theatre. In 1910, and some would say that this was his attempt at disassociating himself with the family that he felt had rejected his true nature, Friedrich changed his last name to Murnau, which was the name of the Bavarian town that he visited with his lover, the poet Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele.

When war broke out, both Friedrich and Hans enlisted as soldiers, but only one would survive the bloody horrors of the trenches. Hans died in 1915. After about eight months in the trenches Murnau became a reconnaissance pilot. During one fateful flight he was forced to make a landing in neutral Switzerland, where he would begin directing plays and would later draw the attention of the government, which hired him to direct some propaganda films. Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's passion for filmmaking had been ignited and it would burn brightly. In short time, he would become a true film director and a master of the early German cinema.

Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens, as I've mentioned before was freely adapted from Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. The screenplay was written by Henrik Galeen, who had previously written the film Der Golem - Wie er in der Welt Kam (which translates to The Golem: How He Came Into the World in English). Galeen was a friend of both F.W. Murnau and Albin Grau, and like them, he had a deep interest in the occult. Galeen's screenplay for Nosferatu would use the vampire as a metaphor for the destruction and violence of the war.

Since the Stoker estate had not sold the rights for Dracula to be made into a film, Galeen would make changes to the story and characters. Count Dracula became Count Orlok, Jonathan Harker became Thomas Hutter, Wilhelmina Murray-Harker became Ellen Hutter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing became Professor Bulwer, Doctor John Steward became Professor Sievers, and R.M. Renfield became Knock. Also, certain elements of the story were changed for either legal or artistic reasons. Most notably, Count Orlok became a plague-spreader and Ellen, unlike Mina Murray-Harker, would sacrifice herself to save her beloved husband.

Because of the fact that the filmmakers neglected to get legal permission to adapt Dracula into a film, Florence Stoker, Bram Stoker's widow, sued Prana-Film, the film company that released Nosferatu. As a result, the courts sided with Florence Stoker and ordered that Nosferatu not only be pulled from theatres, but also that all prints of the film should be destroyed. Fortunately, a few copies were saved from the destruction and Nosferatu can still be seen in all its glory today.

The story begins in 1838, when young Hutter is sent to Transylvania by the sinister estate broker Knock, where he is to deliver documents to Count Orlok. Once there he encounters many strange things and the mysterious Count reveals himself to be a vampire. The Count finds a picture of Hutter's young innocent wife, Ellen and then journeys to Wisborg, Germany to find her. Hutter is left behind in the vampire's eerie castle until one night when he manages to escape. By the time Hutter returns to his own home in Wisborg, the Count has spread a plague across the countryside. Too weak to battle this nefarious monstrosity, Hutter unknowingly leaves Ellen vulnerable to Orlok's attack. But Ellen, having read Hutter's journal and a book about Nosferatu, prepares to destroy the Count the only way she can. She plans to sacrifice herself to the undead Count and in so doing distract him until the sun rises since the first rays of the morning sun are lethal to the Nosferatu. In the final climactic scene Count Orlok creeps into their home and feeds on the virginal heroine's blood and then he meets his demise. Ellen's self-sacrifice and her defeat of Count Orlok lifts the accursed plague from Wisborg forever.

Nosferatu features a talented cast, which was headed by intense character actor Max Schreck, whose name literally translates to "maximum terror". Schreck played the vampire Count Orlok, not as a sex symbol or a handsome yet violent monster, but rather as a vile rat-like being that felt no human emotions; only a parasitic bloodlust. The rest of the cast included Gustav Von Wangenheim as Hutter, Alexander Granach as Knock, Greta Schroeder as Ellen, and John Gottowt as Professor Bulwer.

Kino On Video's Restored Authorized Edition of Nosferatu is fantastic, though it's not without its flaws. This particular restoration of the film is impressive, though inferior to the one found on the Image Entertainment DVD. The newly translated title cards are closer to the original text, but they are presented in a hideously bright green color that is terribly distracting and feels out of place with the rest of the film. Also, the image quality is grainier than that seen on the Image release.

The DVD features two separate scores. The first is composed by Donald Sosin with vocals by Joanna Seaton. This score is effective at conjuring up the haunting vampiric themes of the film and evokes images of the beauty and danger of Eastern Europe's ancient forests and ruinous castles.

The second score is composed by Gérard Hourbette and Thierry Zaboitzeff and was performed by Art Zoyd. Unfortunately, this score is too hectic and so discordant that I wasn't even able to listen to it in its entirety. However, the half hour that I was able to tolerate was terrible and it totally overwhelmed the emotions of the film. Luckily, you can choose between the two scores, so it doesn't ruin your viewing experience.

Supplemental features include archival excerpts from six of Murnau's films, a gallery of photographs and artwork, and a scene comparison that explores the similarities and differences between Bram Stoker's novel, Henrik Galeen's screenplay, the final film, and a radio play performed by Orson Welles.

Still, for those cineastes looking to complete their silent film collection and for those unfamiliar with the legendary film, this DVD is essential, but not perfect.

Here is a link to Kino's official website, where you can purchase the Restored Authorized Edition DVD of Nosferatu and other classic films:
Nosferatu (Restored Authorized Edition)