Customer Reviews

Nosferatu (Full Screen) [Import]

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

There are a number of versions of the original Murnau film "Nosferatu" floating around out there, and as a big fan of the film, I've bought most of them and will discuss them so that you don't have to waste time and money trying to decide which to buy. Unfortunately, I am only going to compare the current DVD releases however, and only those in my part of the globe - Region 1. By all means, avoid the embarrassingly bad VHS version with the modern score by "Type-O-Negative".

This is a black & white silent film for those who don't know. Sound wasn't invented for another five years after this film was made and color wasn't introduced for another ten to twelve after that. Bram Stoker's widow successfully had most copies of this film destroyed by infringement of copyright during the twenties, so the few existing prints today are sadly in poor condition. Most films in the silent era were color-tinted, and rarely viewed as pure black & white (so don't put all the blame on Ted Turner for starting that trend). As there was no soundtrack in those days, live orchestras performed the music behind the film. Today, if the original score is not known, (as is the case with Nosferatu), then we try and "fake it" with a modern composition recorded onto the cassette, laserdisc, or DVD. Some modern scores are fitting and appropriate, while others just stink (such as the Type-O-Negative score). The other problem with older films is that projectors weren't standardized yet, so people produced films at all sorts of different "running speeds". Today, all film is photographed at 24 frames a second, but back then it was 20, 18, 30, whatever...this is why many films of that era, when translated to present day film, run speedy like a bad episode of the "Keystone Cops".

Basically, there are only two DVD versions available that you should consider if you are at all serious about adding this legendary classic to your home collection.

First, there's the IMAGE Entertainment version, which has two musical scores: one score is kind of lame and silly, while the second organ score is the better of the two. The DVD in tinted brightly as well. The real gem on this version is an outstanding commentary soundtrack by a German film expert that is so educational.

Second, is the best version available, which is produced by Kino. This version has the sharper picture, a slightly better running speed and contains a few scenes not seen in other version (Kino's is also the longest running version available). The Kino version also comes with two scores. The first score is my favorite available and would be perfect if not for a few "vocal" improvisations of a woman gasping when the actress onscreen is scared. It's embarrassing and cheezy. The second score is a completely inappropriate "techno" version that sounds more like a cheap Nine-Inch-Nails rip-off and doesn't fit the film at all. (I don't understand why people insist on giving this film a modern musical score to emphasize it's horror aspects when all they do is demean it). The Kino version sadly does not have a commentary track or it would be perfect. The Kino version is also color-tinted. I would personally like to see a version without color-tinting as I just find that annoying.

But as of this date, June 2003, the Kino version of the original 1922 Nosferatu is the one to buy. But if you want the wonderful commentary soundtrack, then go with the IMAGE Entertainment version instead.

This movie, as most people probably know already, is about a vampire, much like the Dracula novel, which it was based on. There are huge differences between Dracula and Nosferatu, however; Nosferatu is not this charming, cape-wearing, handsome villain who oozes sex appeal. He's bald, hunched-over, with pointed ears and strange rodent-teeth.
You arn't meant to be attracted to him, you're meant to fear him. And when he travels in the movie, he doesn't go alone; he brings plague rats with him.
I love this movie. It's not so much scary as creepy, though I did get genuinely frightened during one of the castle scenes with him. Most of the movie plays on atmosphere, and the music, which is a good reason to get the Kino version, as the music is actually GOOD, compared to most versions of this film.
I never found this film boring, but I can see how others might find it so at first. You can't watch this movie expecting a modern day movie sans talking. The shooting style is different, the acting style different. Like I said above, it's not shock-style fear being created; is drawn-out, atmospheric creepiness.
And the acting you see isn't over-acting; it's the only way to really convey an emotion in a silent film.
Sorry, I'm rambling. All I can really end up saying is that I liked it. I loved it, actually. But an IMPORTANT final note; sound isn't the only reason to get the Kino version. The transfer is so clear, you forgot it's in black and white. It is more expensive, but definately worth it. Most other versions just arn't worth seeing.

It always surprises me when I suddenly notice there are horror films I should have seen years ago but am only seeing for the first time now. F.W. Murnau's 1922 classic take on the vampire legend, "Nosferatu" is one of these films. What horror film fan would not take some time to watch this legendary creation? Well, me for one. I put it off for years due to my general dislike of the vampire sub genre. You can only take so many debonair duffers tooling around a castle sinking their fangs into the throats of girls before you give up in frustration. A few vampire films I like, such as "Fright Night," but as a general rule I can leave them more often than I can take them. It only took a few minutes of "Nosferatu" to discover this film wasn't going to be the type of vampire film I am used to seeing. You won't see a Frank Langella or Christopher Lee type playing the lead bloodsucker in this disturbing movie. One look at the hideous visage on the DVD cover provides ample evidence that the vampire in this movie won't wow the ladies with his good looks or suave charm. The vampire in "Nosferatu" is exactly how a vampire should look.

Set in Germany back in the nineteenth century, "Nosferatu" tells the horrific tale of an entire town stricken by the evil machinations of the rat-like Count Orlok, a truly sinister figure both loathsome and repellent. After a real estate agent named Knock sells the count his property, he falls under the spell of its gruesome tenant. The agent wants Orlok to come to Bremen, so he sends his assistant Hutter out to the castle. Harker's virginal wife Ellen objects to the sudden departure of her husband, but knows he must fulfill the obligations of his job. The scenes involving the trip to Orlok's pad and Hutter's subsequent stay are masterpieces of ominous foreshadowing. Animals bolt in panic as the coach nears the castle, the villagers fall silent when Hutter mentions Orlok, and his driver adamantly refuses to take the assistant to the castle. The count sends his own coach, an unusual device that moves supernaturally thanks to Murnau's use of fast motion photography. Obviously, strange things are afoot even before the vampire goes on his rampage.

Hutter falls prey to Orlok during his stay at the castle, but manages to escape and head back to Bremen to warn the town. His wife, in the meantime, suffers strange dreams and hallucinations that foreshadow her own encounter with the vampire. Knock goes off his rocker, and is institutionalized at the local jail. As for Orlok, he boards a vessel and heads to Bremen and a meeting with Hutter's virgin bride. The scenes on the ship are masterfully chilly. The count hides in a coffin in the hold of the ship, rising to feast on the unwary sailors. His movements on the boat, often accompanied by dozens of rats, nauseates even as it fascinates the viewer. By the time the movie reached this point, I couldn't think of a horror film character more hideous or repulsive than Orlok. When the ship reaches port, doctors fear a plague has killed the crew. They are partially right. A plague has reached town, but one these doctors have never seen before. Before long, townspeople start to drop like flies as Orlok pounds the cobblestones at night looking for Hutter's wife. The conclusion to the film involves no stakes, no holy water or crucifixes, but a good old fashioned German girl using her purity to destroy evil. I'll leave it you to see how she does it.

"Nosferatu" is a classic because a perceptive viewer can see so many themes in it. Is it a movie about sexuality, or Weimer politics, or a foreshadowing of the National Socialists? I'd like to promote a view of the movie I haven't seen yet (although it may be out there somewhere). I couldn't help but see a lot of potential anti-Semitic themes playing out in the movie. Orlok's physical presence resembles in no small way the depictions of Jews that often appeared in Germany even before the Third Reich rose to power. Associating the count with rats and plague is similar to how the Jews were portrayed in notorious anti-Semitic propaganda. I think, too, that the encrypted letter the count sent to Knock underscored what many Germans thought about Jews, that they communicated in esoteric languages and practiced a strange religion. Orlok, when he arrives in Germany, is an outsider, a dangerous foreigner seeking to kill and corrupt the good German people. Again, the Jews were always seen as outsiders with a hidden hostility to gentiles. The conclusion of the film only confirmed this thesis in my eyes, when a pure German woman using her wiles managed to defeat the evil count. Germans always worried about Jews marrying their women, so the idea that a girl could not only withstand the advances of the count but also use his lust to destroy him must have resonated deeply with certain segments of the audience. I could go on and on, matching certain scenes with how many Germans perceived the Jews.

I hope the film isn't anti-Semitic. But as a horror film, it is unmatched. Murnau's technical experimentation along with Max Schreck's portrayal of Orlok make this film a must see for horror fans. The DVD is good too, with a ton of extras. You get extensive liner notes on location sights, notes on Murnau's influences, still galleries, several different soundtracks, and a commentary track from a film historian. The quality of the picture transfer didn't look too good, but the movie is over eighty years old. If you haven't seen "Nosferatu" yet, you're missing out on a great experience.

I buy this edition from Italy,because here doesn't exist a DVD edition of this masterpiece...
I am really impressed by the realisation of the disc,wich content interesting extra materials and the movie restored in exceptional way with two very interesting audio-tracks more adapted to the movie atmosphere and a very nice animated menus...Really gourgeus edition...

Great to watch in a dark room on halloween. Very scary.

This is the first and the best, but not for the casual viewer. The later version from the 1930's with Bella Legose is awful, and will induce gaging.

I've seen this film a number of times on the big screen but not on VHS or DVD, so can't comment on the quality of any of these "at-home" releases, although I'm familiar with the very fine work done by Kino in restoring and releasing classsic films, and so will purchase theirs when I finally do buy (a class act all the way, they and Criterion are the way to go if you can spend more on your collection). This is a great film, and there's little I can add to the other reviews posted.

However, I should point out to some previous reviewers--as well as for the benefit of future viewers/purchasers--that the tinting of certain scenes is NOT a gimmick devised by contemporary video producers.
To the best of my knowledge, this film was, if not initially then very soon afterward, released with specific scenes tinted in order to lend atmosphere (I not only remember reading this, but have yet to view an untinted print). Tinting of negatives, while not the rule of thumb, was not an uncommon practice during the early days of motion pictures; Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera is a case in point (although I think its color segments might have been early Technicolor), and I believe Griffith's Broken Blossoms also has tinted scenes. As a matter of fact, Turner Classic Movies occasionally runs a lovely montage of the first 100 years of film that opens and closes with hand-tinted silent footage. So rest assured that if the Nosferatu you purchase is tinted, you're seeing what Murnau intended you to see, although I can't guarantee that the tints you'll see are the "correct" ones (depending on whose release you purchase). Regardless, I can't imagine anyone's not enjoying this film--it's a must-see!
Incidentally and for what it's worth, I also love Herzog's remake--comparing the two represents a delightful use of viewing time.

What can I say? European Silent film speed is 15 frames per second, not 18 as was in America, nor 20 because it's convenient to produce a DVD that way. My version of Nosferatu on VHS is 106 minutes long, with no additional material than other versions; and except where Murnau explicitly wanted supernatural speed, all the actors movements appear absolutely natural, making the story real. The DVD versions out thus far are at ~82 minutes long, and are still too fast.

Anyone who has seen a silent movie at a true correct film speed knows that of which I write. If it is any faster, it appears unnatural (i.e., herky-jerky movements), and robs the film of any real emotional relevance.

I advise consumers to keep their wallets shut unless the production outfits publish in their technical descriptions the film speeds they are using, and why. There is too much that is simply lost from the silent world, and this I believe is the chief culprit. All the tinting, scoring, or image restoration does not fix what is fundamentally a flawed publication if the speed is not absolutely correct.

As a fan of this movie, I await for the day when ALL the production values are utilized in publishing this movie on DVD.

Just when I thought I'd FINALLY owned the definitive version of "Nosferatu" (the 84-minute version from IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT), along comes this "AUTHORIZED" version from KINO. The running time: 93 minutes! Nearly 85% of the scenes are longer (by a few feet of film), creating a much smoother, atmospheric and tension-building vision that Murnau had originally planned. Some scenes are COMPLETELY new to me (after having owned over 12 different versions of the film--from 8mm, to VHS, and now to DVD!!) This KINO print has come from some archival Italian film museum, and is even sharper than the IMAGE version...and even more appropriately color-tinted--(Count Orlok walking the deck of the ship is now BLUE for NIGHT!--for those who were bothered by the mistakenly amber-tinted sequence on the IMAGE disc). Admittedly, this version actually gave me chills...for the first time!
Now: as for the musical score...the DVD will automatically leave the FIRST option as your "score of choice". GOOD. It's very well-composed...creating the perfect setting for each and every sequence. WARNING: Do NOT select option #2...not unless you want to experience the film with a COMPLETELY inappropriate soundtrack which sounds like a TECHNO-PUNK-HEAVY METAL-INDUSTRIAL MIXED-UP Mess!!--I can't describe it any other way. That being said, you will definitely NOT be disappointed with this "NEW & IMPROVED" release...and don't be mislead by the date of 1929 (that was the year in which "Nosferatu" hit the American shores).

I've been interested in this movie since the 80s and 90s when I would see it in clips on tv or in music videos etc. then managed to grab a VHS copy sometime ago which I still have, but which is not near the video and audio quality of this DVD. I picked up the 'restored' version from KINO a few years back on DVD and thought it was pretty decent, but now just got this updated Ultimate Edition and can say it is by far the most complete and best looking version you can get, all with original music added back in and original intertitles etc. I love how KINO takes these old historic films like Nosferatu, Metropolis etc. and scoures the earth to find missing footage, info or original music and painstakingly treats it digitally frame-by-frame, cleans it up and pieces it all back together to present it as it was intended to be seen at its original premier, it's so interesting to me. You don't get that with movies today, everything is so cut-and-dry today. So yea, the picture is as clear as day and stable and the original music has been pieced back together and added back to the movie. But you have to consider the era of the film, it's not the most interesting or engaging film ever, the pace can be slow and can get boring, but it's worth it to see a historic film like this in near perfect form as it was intended to be seen, finally.