History Film / Nosferatu

''Nosferatu'' was originally intended to be a direct adaptation of Bram Stoker's ''{{Dracula}}'', but Stoker's widow, who owned the copyright, refused permission. So Murnau and his team [[CaptainErsatz changed the characters' names]],[[hottip:*:Some later English-language prints "restore" the character names to their ''Dracula'' originals.]] simplified the plot, and tried to pass ''Nosferatu'' off as an original story.

[[quoteright:166:[[{{Film/Nosferatu}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nosferatu.jpg]]]]

''Nosferatu'' was originally intended to be a direct adaptation of Bram Stoker's ''{{Dracula}}'', but Stoker's widow, who owned the copyright, refused permission. So the Murnau and his team [[CaptainErsatz changed the characters' names]],[[hottip:*:Some later English-language prints "restore" the character names to their ''Dracula'' originals.]] simplified the plot, and tried to pass ''Nosferatu'' off as an original story.

!![[TropeNamer Named The Following Tropes:]]
* LooksLikeOrlok

* LooksLikeOrlok: TropeNamer
* LoveTranscendsSpacetime: [[spoiler: At the very moment when Orlock is readying himself to feed, fatally, on Hutter, Ellen has a sudden panic attack -- which somehow makes the vampire back down and leave Hutter alive.]]

* SupportingProtagonist: Hutter. His wife Ellen's presence protects him from Orlok while he's in Transylvania, and [[spoiler: it is only through her [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice]] that Orlok is killed.]]

* CreepyLongFingers: Orlock, as part of his [[LooksLikeOrlock defining appearance]].

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: As noted above, this film originated the idea that vampires burn in sunlight. Also, Schreck's vampire is rather uniquely portrayed as [[LooksLikeOrlok a rat-like monster]] and the personification of pestilence, as well as having a considerable semblance to some kind of ghost -- the numerous scenes where Orlock seems to materialise or dematerialise at will (such as when carrying his coffin into his new lair), as well as the famous sequence where Orlock seems to sneak into Hutter's home as a disembodied shadow.

* VampireBitesSuck: Orlock's needle-like incisors leave two small pinprick-holes in the victim's throat

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The reason this movie still exists.

* AnimalMotifs: Orlock has a very subtle yet obvious in hindsight connection with rats and, through them, the plague. His fangs are rat-like incisors rather than the elongated canines ususally used for vampires, his pointed nose and thin face gives him a rodent quality to his facial features, even his taloned hands call to minds the grasping paws of a giant rat.

* CreepyLongFingers: Orlock, as part of his [[LooksLikeOrlock defining appearance]

* WeakenedByTheLight: Sunlight makes Orlok catch fire and disappear. (As noted above, this film is the TropeMaker).

''Nosferatu'' (rarely used full title: ''Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror'') is the first known "vampire" movie, released in 1922. Director [[GermanExpressionism Friedrich W. Murnau]] cast [[http://eric.b.olsen.tripod.com/schreck.html Max Schreck]] as Count Orlok, with the veteran German character actor [[LooksLikeOrlok wearing huge pointed ears, long fangs, and completely bald]]... one of the most frightening characters in film history. The myth that ''Nosferatu'' was Schreck's only role is untrue; he appeared in over 20 films and a number of stage roles, all in Germany. This movie is also notable for spawning the idea that [[WeakenedByTheLight vampires can be killed by sunlight.]]

It didn't work. The film company that produced ''Nosferatu'' was forced to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying Bram Stoker's estate for copyright infringement. All copies of this film were supposed to [[DisproportionateRetribution be destroyed]] because of the infringement, but a KeepCirculatingTheTapes mentality among fans of the film kept it from being [[MissingEpisode lost.]] ([[DigitalPiracyIsEvil pre-digital movie piracy?]] It's OlderThanYouThink) We, too, can see the greatness of Murnau's vision.

The myth that Schreck only appeared in this one film was perpetuated by the 2000 film ''ShadowOfTheVampire,'' which portrayed Schreck as an actual vampire.

* CreepyLongFingers

* LoveTranscendsSpacetime

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: As noted above, this film originated the idea that vampires burn in sunlight. Also, Schreck's vampire is rather uniquely portrayed as [[LooksLikeOrlok a rat-like monster]] and the personification of pestilence.

* VampireBitesSuck

This movie is in the public domain and may be viewed in its entirety at [[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5533219824209187800 Google Video]], [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzubFvBsA YouTube,]] and [[http://www.archive.org/details/nosferatu the Internet Archive.]]

Also notable under this title: WernerHerzog's 1979 ''Nosferatu the Vampyre'', a re-adaptation of ''Dracula'' heavily influenced by the Murnau film's iconic visuals and streamlined plot. KlausKinski played the title role (now back to the name "Dracula"), and it's generally considered to be almost as good as the original. Some would even call it better. Kinski would return for the 1988 sort-of-sequel ''Nosferatu in Venice''.

* IAmNotShazam: "Nosferatu" is another word for "vampire", but some seem to believe that it's actually Orlok's name.

* PivotalWakeup: One of the creepiest moments in the movie.

Also notable under this title: WernerHerzog's 1979 ''Nosferatu the Vampyre'', a re-adaptation of ''Dracula'' heavily influenced by the Murnau film's iconic visuals and streamlined plot. KlausKinski played the title role, and it's generally considered to be almost as good as the original. Some would even call it better. Kinski would return for the 1988 sort-of-sequel ''Nosferatu in Venice''.

-->-'''Music/BlueOysterCult'''

* CompleteMonster: Take one guess...

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