History Film / Nosferatu

''Nosferatu'' (rarely used full title: ''Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror'') is the first known "vampire" movie, released in 1922. Director Creator/FriedrichWilhelmMurnau cast [[http://eric.b.olsen.tripod.com/schreck.html Max Schreck]] as Count Orlok, with the veteran [[UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} German]] character actor [[LooksLikeOrlok wearing a costume that left him bald, with huge pointed ears and long sharp fangs]]... In short, one of the most frightening characters in film history. This movie is also notable for spawning the idea that [[WeakenedByTheLight vampires can be killed by sunlight]].

''Nosferatu'' (rarely used full title: ''Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror'') is the first known "vampire" movie, released in 1922. Director Creator/FriedrichWilhemMurnau cast [[http://eric.b.olsen.tripod.com/schreck.html Max Schreck]] as Count Orlok, with the veteran [[UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} German]] character actor [[LooksLikeOrlok wearing a costume that left him bald, with huge pointed ears and long sharp fangs]]... In short, one of the most frightening characters in film history. This movie is also notable for spawning the idea that [[WeakenedByTheLight vampires can be killed by sunlight]].

''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 [[UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} German]] character actor [[LooksLikeOrlok wearing a costume that left him bald, with huge pointed ears and long sharp fangs]]... In short, one of the most frightening characters in film history. This movie is also notable for spawning the idea that [[WeakenedByTheLight vampires can be killed by sunlight]].

* RedRightHand: See LooksLikeOrlok.

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

* LooksLikeOrlok: TropeNamer. Quite a contrast to the suave, attractive vampires that make up so much of the rest of vampire fiction.

Also notable under this title: Creator/WernerHerzog's 1979 ''Nosferatu the Vampyre'', a re-adaptation of ''Dracula'' heavily influenced by the Murnau film's iconic visuals and streamlined plot. Creator/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''.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Count Orlok (Graf Orlok in the original German.)

* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: The etymology of the word "nosferatu" is unclear. This movie isn't the first to use it (Stoker's novel referenced it first,) but the usual origin (the [[UsefulNotes/{{Romania}} Romanian]] word for "vampire") is false.

* 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 Orlok seems to materialise or dematerialise at will (such as when carrying his coffin into his new lair,) as well as the famous sequence where Orlok seems to sneak into Hutter's home as a disembodied shadow.

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 Creator/FWMurnau's vision.

->''And at her window -''

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

''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 a costume that left him bald, with huge pointed ears and long sharp fangs]]...in short, one of the most frightening characters in film history. This movie is also notable for spawning the idea that [[WeakenedByTheLight vampires can be killed by sunlight.]]

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. The idea was perpetuated by the 2000 film ''ShadowOfTheVampire,'' which portrayed Schreck as an actual vampire.

''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]],[[note]]Some later English-language prints "restore" the character names to their ''Dracula'' originals.[[/note]] simplified the plot, and tried to pass ''Nosferatu'' off as an original story.

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.

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,]] [[http://www.hulu.com/watch/188230 Hulu,]] and [[http://www.archive.org/details/nosferatu the Internet Archive.]] A rescored version with ProgressiveRock music by Creator/IsaacBaranoff and Music/FunnyAminals can be viewed [[http://blip.tv/horndogtv/nosferatu-rescored-by-funny-aminals-6674955 here]].

Also notable under this title: Creator/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''.

* AnimalMotifs: Orlok 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.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Count Orlok (Graf Orlok in the original German).

* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: The etymology of the word "nosferatu" is unclear. This movie isn't the first to use it (Stoker's novel referenced it first), but the usual origin (the Romanian word for "vampire") is false.
** The two most probable etymologies are a corruption of the Romanian "Necuratu," meaning "unclean spirit," or Greek "Nosophoros," meaning "bringer of plague."
* BaldOfEvil: Orlok

* BreakingAndBloodsucking: Ellen's plan to destroy Orlok is to wait for him to attack her in her bed and allow him to slowly feed to distract him from the lethal sunrise.

* DownerEnding: In the Herzog remake [[spoiler:Lucy is dead, Van Helsing is arrested for killing Dracula and Harker is now a vampire who will presumably continue to spread death and disease. Lucy's sacrifice ultimately meant nothing.]]

* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: One scene has Orlok loading up a horse-drawn cart with coffins and then he gets inside one at the top of the coffin stack. Watch as the lid of the coffin moves up to Orlok's coffin (via stop-motion photography) - the horses change position a couple of times. It doesn't qualify as a {{Special Effects Failure}} given the film was made in the early days of cinema.

** The animated Swiss parody "Nosferatu Tango" drives a stake into this trope: The innocent young woman took Brand ZZZZZ sleeping pills, which also lay Nosferatu to (eternal) sleep when the morning comes.
* 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 Orlok seems to materialise or dematerialise at will (such as when carrying his coffin into his new lair), as well as the famous sequence where Orlok seems to sneak into Hutter's home as a disembodied shadow.

* ThePlague: When Orlok arrives in Wisborg, he brings disease with him.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: Lucy (Isabelle Adjani) in the Herzog remake.

* SoundtrackDissonance: Some versions of the film feature a near-constant usage of a strange, cheerful little tune that sounds more like it would belong in an old Mickey Mouse cartoon than a classic horror movie. It becomes increasingly hard to get into the mood of the film when this song is in nearly every other scene, even in perfectly innocuous ones, such as the simple act of walking up stairs.

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

* LoveTranscendsSpacetime: 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.

* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: One scene has Orlock loading up a horse-drawn cart with coffins and then he gets inside one at the top of the coffin stack. Watch as the lid of the coffin moves up to Orlock's coffin (via stop-motion photography) - the horses change position a couple of times. It doesn't qualify as a {{Special Effects Failure}} given the film was made in the early days of cinema.

* ThePlague: When Orlock arrives in Wisborg, he brings disease with him. (Or he might just be busy eating people.)

** Of course, the absence of any noticeable servants at his residence should be some cause for concern on Hutter's part, if the innkeeper's warnings and the [[LooksLikeOrlok Count's]] [[ObviouslyEvil appearance]] hadn't already.

** Of course, the absence of any noticeable servants at his residence should be some cause for concern on Hutter's part, if the [[LooksLikeOrlok Count's]] [[ObviouslyEvil appearance]] hadn't already.

** Of course, the absence of any noticeable servants at his residence should be some cause for concern on Hutter's part, if the [[ObviouslyEvil Count's appearance]] hadn't already.

** Of course, the absence of any noticeable servants at his residence should be some cause for concern on Hutter's part.

** Of course, the absence of any noticable servants at his residence should be some cause for concern on Hutter's part.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The reason this movie still exists. According to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu The Other Wiki]], the film's creating studio was sued by the estate of Bram Stoker, and the courts ordered all copies of the film to be ''burned''. Somehow, one copy slipped through the cracks, and this copy was then duplicated and spread throughout the world.
** The 'crack' was the United States, which didn't recognize most foreign copyright claims until decades later, by which time the original book was public domain and the claim against the film moot.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Count Orlok (Graf von Orlok in the original German).

* ThePlague: When Orlock arrives in Wisborg, he brings disease with him.

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,]] [[http://www.hulu.com/watch/188230 Hulu,]] and [[http://www.archive.org/details/nosferatu the Internet Archive.]]

* TheRenfield: Knock.

* SwarmOfRats

''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. This movie is also notable for spawning the idea that [[WeakenedByTheLight vampires can be killed by sunlight.]]

* BaldOfEvil

* GhostlyGlide

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

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Count Orlok is shown loading his coffins onto a horse-drawn wagon by himself (whereas Count Dracula had hired gypsies doing this in the book and [[BramStokersDracula the 1992 film]]). He's even shown carrying his coffin to his new home later on.