So many versions of Dracula, I didn’t even know this was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel. The first version, inspiring two remakes of its own, and still one of the best. A visually stylish antidote to Tod Browning’s 1931 Dracula, with all its static staginess. Murnau also gets as far away from the suave, handsome look as possible with a cadaverous vampire with claws and a face that closely resembles a skinned bat.
What’s become more noticeable with all versions of Nosferatu, is how Nina Harker must make the ultimate tough choice to eradicate this evil. While the men run around doing manly things, Nina zeroes in on Nosferatu’s desire being more carnal than driven by a thirst for blood. It is not a story about her sexual liberation, but the need for her to not act with repression typical of the time period. Or you can just enjoy all the cool compositions of light and shadows.
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