Approaching the legendary German classic 1922 film NOSFERATU: EIN SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS by F.W. Murnau with his own unique sensibilities, Werner Herzog establishes a link between himself and the classic days of German cinema and in the process crafts a lush adaptation as well as a classic in its own right. Stark, symbolic cinematography and intensely stylized performances create what Herzog refers to as a different plane of reality, injecting the age-old tale of Count Dracula with a modern sense of mysticism, desire, and wonder.
Frequent Herzog collaborator Klaus Kinski portrays the Dracula character with a silent intensity, tingeing the vampire's inhuman monstrosity with a deep sense of pathos and longing. Completing a stellar international cast are Bruno Ganz (a regular in the films of Wim Wenders) and French film star Isabelle Adjani, both giving subtle yet compelling performances as the formerly happy couple who fall prey to Dracula's lust for life and love. From the opening image of rows of openmouthed mummies and the repeated motif of a bat in slow-motion flight to beautiful scenic shots of European mountains and beaches, NOSFERATU is a visually stunning film, presenting visual tableaus taken directly from the original as well as those of Herzog's invention. The extreme stylization of the film recalls Herzog's similarly hypnotic and haunting film HEART OF GLASS--creating a wholly original film, that despite its differences maintains a strict and loving faithfulness to the original.
A lush adaptation of Murnau's silent 1922 classic is a classic in its own right. Stark photography and minimalist dialogue pay homage to the original while presenting the story of Count Dracula's obsession with a beautiful woman. Spurning the "Creature Feature"-approach of many directors before him, Herzog paints a sympathetic portrait of a damned soul whose sheer hideousness precludes any sort of personal contact.
NOSFERATU was filmed in Delft, Holland, and in the mountains of Eastern Slovakia.
Eleven thousand rats were used in NOSFERATU. Director Werner Herzog and his crew not only had to dye every single one of them grey, but they also had to take extreme precautions to make sure none of them escaped into the town of Delft where they were filming.
The repeated footage of a bat in slow motion flight was shot at 500 frames per second and required so much light that the bats had to be trained for more than a year in order to withstand the brightness.
Herzog was forbidden to film in the real homeland and castle of the original Count Dracula, which is located in current day Romania, because the country's dictator refused permission for any film permits.
Werner Herzog's wife at the time, Martje Grohmann, plays Mina.
In 2000, Willem Dafoe portrayed Max Schreck in SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE; Schreck played the count in F.W. Murnau's silent classic NOSFERATU.
DVD Features:
2-Disc Set
Region 0
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Letterbox - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - German
Mono - English
Additional Release Material:
Trailers
Featurette: THE MAKING OF NOSFERATU
Audio Commentary: Werner Herzog - Director, Norman Hill
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Text/Photo Galleries:
Biographies
Director of Photography
Jorg Schmidt-Reitwein:
Production Designer
Henning von Gierke:
Production Designer
Ulrich Bergfelder:
Story
Bram Stoker: Author, DRACULA
Story
Henrik Galeen:
Costume Designer
Gloria Storch:
Review 1:
"...Isabelle Adjani is a spectacularly photogenic porcelain presence..."
Source: USA Today
p.7E 01/22/1999
Review 2:
"...A real film artist updates a classic....[Kinski's Nosferatu] gets under your skin..." -- Rating: A-
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.74 02/05/1999
Review 3:
"...Pictorially striking....Klaus Kinski is a pleasure to watch as the vampire..."
Source: Variety
01/24/1979
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