A Symphony of Horror

I had the pleasure of discovering that Google Video has the complete silent film of Noseferatu posted for viewers to see in its enterity. The film itself is short compared to most modern day features, running at around an hour and twenty-four minutes. Officially titled in English Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, the 1922 German film, directed by F.W. Murnau, is the closest any film interpretation has come to recreating Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula on the silver screen. Before Bela Lugosi turned Dracula into a sauve, sophisticated, man about town, Nosferatu was the terrifyingly devilish impression people had of vampires.

The film was actually made in Germany, but since it is silent, the title cards were easily translated into English for a wider audience. This translation is a true testament to how the art of film can transcend the language barrier. More than reading the title cards, though, you find yourself relying on the expressions and actions of the characters to propel you through the story. Without the added music in the background, you can still understand completely what is going on. However, I would recommend keeping the music on and turned up since the score, done by the Silent Orchestra, is particularly haunting. Several scores for the film exist and are widely available, even fragments from the original score by Hans Erdmann remain and can be heard, thanks to the Phoenix Wind Project.
Now, I know a lot of people are not big fans of silent movies and they would much rather hear the lines from the actors than read the title cards on the screen, but this film is definitely a classic and any film buff, lover of horror or vampires, or just someone looking for a little culture and exploration can get into this film. Sure, the dreaded Count Orlok may not be as terrifying to modern audiences as he was to the first generation of movie-goers, but he is still the closest to Stoker's description of Dracula and terrifying in his own, silent right. And yes, the "werewolf" towards the beginning is in fact a hyena.

Some of the scenes you might fine a little cheesy since we're used to a word of modern filming techniques, CGI, and computers, but you have to learn to appreciate the abilities they had in the time period. And even if some scenes are a little dated, there are scenes, such as the entrance of the Nosferatu himself that will still chill you to the bone, especially if its after midnight and all the lights are off. For its day, the film is wonderfully acted. The hauntingly talented Max Schreck takes the title role of Nosferatu/Count Orlock in stage makeup that rivals modern horrof film costuming. The other stars of the film are the angelically handsome Gustav von Wangenheim as Jonathan Harker and Greta Schröder as his tragically beautiful wife, Mina.

At any rate, Nosferatu is not only a classic film but a classic horror film, one of the must haves on any ultimate horror movie list.