It's more Friday Fright with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. We gots a creepy little silent vampire flick brought to the screen 91 years ago in Deutschland by F.W. Murnau, even though he wasn't able to attain the rights to the property of Stoker's estate! Parts were actually shot at Vlad's old stomping grounds in Romania!
There are 10 credits for original music for this movie dating from 1969 to 2006, that's the reason there's no soundclip for this post, just make one up in your mind! So, don't be looking for no big red 'GO' button cause there ain't none.
A real estate company in Wisbourg gets an interesting letter from a Baron Graf Orlok in Transylvania, saying that he'd like to move there... Really, that's what that sez?
Hutter, representing the real estate company, travels to Orlok's castle to take him the deed to sign. Orlok seems quite eccentric.
Then, Hutter is visited in his sleep by the Nosferatu late that night!
Although Hutter cannot totally remember what has happened to him, including the strange bite marks on his neck, he discovers Orlok sleeping in a coffin in the basement during the day. Now he definitely knows that something evil's going on around here!
And, there is the Reinfield character, in jail for eating insects and small animals! His name is Knock and he's Orlok's little imp helper. In one of the best and funniest parts of the movie, he escapes and has the whole town chasing him around in circles!
Orlok takes his coffin off the death ship he arrived in, walks through town and then delivers it to his new place. In this black and white print, it looks like he's able to withstand the sun during the day!! Thing is, in the original master print the scene is tinted blue, designating nighttime...
Here's one of the victims they find on the death ship. Notice his fang holes, there is
NO way Nosferatu could have bitten him in the neck and left those holes. First of all, he'd have to be facing the guy exactly straight ahead and teeth simply don't
jut out from your face.
It doesn't take long before this happens!
Then, long lines of pall bearers carry the coffins of victims of the plague to the cemetary.
After reading the Big Book Of Vampires, Hutter's wife figures out a way to end the horror, she summons Nosferatu to visit her in her bedroom after she sends her husband on a wild goose chase!
She lets the greedy monster drink her blood long enough for the sun to come up, and, he vaporizes from the sunlight right before our eyes. I find it ridiculous that after Nosferatu disappears, anyone affected by the plague returns to absolute normal with no side effects!
1 comment:
The greatest silent horror movie not starring Lon chaney. A masterpiece.
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