Nosferatu

Back in 1922 F.W. Murnau released a film called "Nosferatu". This movie was a thinly veiled film version of Bram Stokers "Dracula". The film held with it some of the most memorable camera tricks and tricks of lighting along with a vampire that was as terrifying to look at as it was ugly. The vampire was played by Max Schreck and remains as one of the greatest film performances of all time. This vampire actually gave me nightmares as a kid when I saw clips from the movie in the old 1970's t.v. show "In Search Of..." hosted by Leonard Nimoy.

In 1979 German director Werner Herzog chose to do a remake of that original film as a tribute to a director that he felt his country owed a great debt to. He chose his long time friend/enemy Klaus Kinski to star in the title role. A better choice could not have been made. Kinski steps into the role and achieves the impossible. But more on that later.

The film is the tale of "Dracula". Real estate agent Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz) embarks on a trip to close a deal with Count Dracula. Upon arriving in the town below the Counts castle he is told stories by the Gypsies and warned to stay away. He chooses to ignore the warnings and go ahead to the castle. When he arrives he finds the hideous Count (Klaus Kinski), who looks like a the offspring of a bat and a human. The Count is creepy as all hell, but a gentleman none-the-less. The Count then finds a portrait of Harkers wife, Lucy (Isabelle Adjani), and falls in love.

Without us ever being too sure if Harker has been bit or not, he ends up being locked in the castle by the Count as he leaves for a new life in the town of Wismar, home of Lucy.

Once we are in Wismar a plague grips the town and the rats run free. Will Jonathan save Lucy? Will the Count bite Lucy? Will Lucy fall in love with the Count? Will my country of America ever notice this brilliant movie and send F.F. Coppola and his cast of idiots to eternal damnation for the piece of rubbish they put out a few years ago? (Well said Carl - Al) For these answers go and see this movie and spread the word!

While this is a movie I would never in a million years tell people to run out and buy if they had never seen it, it is one I would tell every single person I know of to go out and rent. It is a movie that you don't need to be a horror fan to enjoy. But at the same time it is such a quiet and unsettling movie that some horror fans might hate this movie.

I had heard about it for years, stories of the amazing performance by Kinski were always there before my eyes. So I rented the video as soon as Anchor Bay released it. See, this movie was never before available in the US on video. Other parts of the world, I am not sure. But never here. When I got it home I put it on and sat in the silence. At first I thought that this was going to be one of the most boring movies ever. The pace was slow and the dialogue was not there. It was soooo quiet. But then I met Renfield. Then I met Dracula. Then I found myself in a trance.

After the movie was over I couldn't get the visuals out of my head. I couldn't get that performance by Kinski out of my brain either. When I said he achieves the impossible, this is what I meant. He plays the most horrifying vampire ever. Yes, more so than the original. What makes him more so is that he is at once horrifying to look at and yet you feel compassion for him, yet you want him dead, for good. You carry all the emotions for the creature that you possibly can. When he speaks, you can tell it hurts him. When he breathes, it sounds like every breath is his dying breath. He moves as if he suffers from rigor mortis, but then he takes off running. It is a performance that is worthy of the highest awards, but one that never stood a chance, it is just too perfect.

The surrounding cast is almost as good. Bruno Ganz as Harker is a meek man who shows fear like no other. His performance is a milestone of subtlety. Isabelle Adjani is beautiful and haunted like few others. Renfield, played by Jacques Dufilho (I believe this is the right name, if I am wrong please let me know), is one of the great Renfields of all time.

The DVD has the required elements for a film like this. Commentary track, trailer and behind-the-scenes.

The commentary track is quite good. I always worry with tracks such as this when the director has to do the track in a language other than their main language. But with this one Mr. Herzog does a very good job. Throughout he gives tales of the shoot and Kinski himself. Kinski really seemed to have been a unique person.

The behind the scenes is interesting, though short. It is neat to see the quick sites of how the lighting was done, seeing the rat wranglers and other quick glimpses of the lives these people had for awhile.

The trailers are, well, trailers. I guess I am horrible at this part of DVD's. I really don't care about the trailers since I would only watch them maybe the one time. If even that.

Also what you get here is the original German version, plus the US cut of the movie. The German version is in the German language with longer takes on the atmospheric scenes. While the US version is in English and has shorter scenes. The funny thing is that in both version's Lucy and Renfield are dubbed, while the rest of the cast do the lines in the language of the film. Both versions where shot simultaneously. Which version is better is a matter of opinion. I think you will prefer that language that you speak. Herzog himself feels the German version works better. But I enjoy them both just the same.

The disc looks great. At times you get a bit of grain, but nothing severe. The scenes that are clear are just beautiful. Crisp and clear.

The sound is haunting. The sound is presented in a surround sound, which is weird since it is such a quiet film. But the surround actually does make it a bit more eerie. When it does creep up on you, it does it very nicely.

So in the end, this is a great DVD of a brilliant movie. Normally I hate vampires. They are too wimpy. Not scary enough for my tastes. But this movie changed all of those feelings. I saw that in the right hands, they could be quite creepy. If you are torn between which "Dracula" movie you should buy, this or the Universal, well, I would have to vote this. Yes the Universal gives you tons more stuff. But this movie is by far the superior film. Hail "Nosferatu", the greatest vampire to ever walk the earth!!!