Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
[Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht]
Director: Werner Herzog
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Gantz
Synopsis:
A real estate agent is dispatched to finalize the sale of a property to a reclusive Transylvanian count.
Impressions:
Whereas the 1922 original was Dracula with the serial numbers filed off (much to the annoyance of Bram Stoker's widow), by the time this film was being made, the novel had lapsed into public domain, so there were no legal issues to worry about when it came to make this more of a direct adaptation, though there were a number of changes, such as switching Mina with Lucy and an apparent conflation of Dr. Seward with Van Helsing. Now, I think most vampire aficionados put Count Orlok and Count Dracula in different boxes, so it's a little weird having the look of Orlock but giving him Dracula's name. Setting that aside, Klaus Kinski is suitably creepy in the role (with some excellent shots to really sell it), but he has this awkward quality to him such that he at times seems more like a creepy autist than the Prince of Darkness. All told, the film is rather understated, but compared to the bigger and more bombastic American adaptations of the story, I appreciate this quality to it, relying on atmosphere more than spectacle. I've seen a lot of takes on this story and it has enough particular to it to warrant checking out.
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