Lily Rose-Depp’s ‘Nosferatu’ Performance: A Haunting Echo of Isabelle Adjani’s ‘Possession’

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Robert Eggers’ film “Nosferatu” is a chilling exploration of repressed desires, passions, and fear, delving deep into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. This gothic masterpiece immerses viewers with its haunting imagery, unsettling sound design, and exceptional acting. Bill Skarsgard’s extraordinary transformation into Count Orlok and Lily Rose-Depp’s defining performance as Ellen, the tormented protagonist, make “Nosferatu” a horror movie that restores genre enthusiasts’ faith in its potential. Skarsgard’s portrayal of the ancient vampire Orlok is remarkable, but it’s Depp who truly steals the show.

In a total immersion, Depp fully embraces Ellen’s essence, making her thoughts and feelings her own. She effortlessly executes every challenging physical or emotional scene the story demands, breathing life into Ellen’s character in remarkable ways. Her physicality, facial expressions, and accent are so authentic that it feels as if we’re witnessing Ellen come alive on screen. Depp didn’t hesitate to take on whatever roles Eggers or the script required of her. This captivating performance is undoubtedly a stepping stone for her career, evoking memories of another legendary portrayal from a 1981 horror film known for its psychological and supernatural elements.

Lily Rose-Depp Gives an Emotionally and Physically Challenging Performance

From the opening frames of the movie, it’s clear that I, as Ellen, have been haunted by terrifying nightmares since my youth, causing me to experience violent seizures. These seizures distort my body and facial expressions in ways that are unsettling to those around me, giving off an otherworldly aura. It’s the enigmatic bond I share with Orlok that triggers these intense, almost ecstatic fits. This bond grants him access to my dreams and stirs within us a mutual desire – a longing that is both physical and emotional.

In the role of Ellen, I found myself grappling with terrifying dreams and thoughts that seemed unclean. To portray this character’s torment convincingly, I had to twist my body and distort my facial expressions, making them appear as though possessed by a demonic entity. But it wasn’t just fear that I needed to convey; Ellen also derived an unsettling pleasure from the invasions of her dreams by Orlok, which I sought to express in my performance.

Johnny Depp himself performed all the physical expressions during the filming of Nosferatu, according to Eggers’ statements on the press tour. This implies that in addition to expressing fear, shame, and longing, Depp also had to physically portray being possessed and experiencing pleasure at the same time.

Isabelle Adjani Gave a Notoriously Unhinged Performance in ‘Possession’

If the character’s development and acting seem reminiscent, it might be due to another actress delivering an equally intense physical and emotional performance back in 1981. The French actress Isabelle Adjani portrayed such a role in Andrzej Zulawski’s surreal horror film “Possession”. In one of her most iconic performances, Adjani played Anna, a woman who, upon asking for a divorce from her husband, triggers his growing suspicion about her actions. His relentless pursuit to understand why she wants a divorce leads him through a sequence of bizarre occurrences and increasingly peculiar behavior from Anna.

1981 saw Adjani triumphantly claim the Best Actress accolade at the Cannes Film Festival for her extraordinary performance. In this film, she masterfully depicted a woman on the brink of insanity, grappling with a contentious divorce from an overly possessive spouse and simultaneously succumbing to the influence of a malevolent supernatural force. As Anna’s character is gradually possessed by this sinister entity, her actions become progressively erratic, and she struggles to maintain a hold on her sanity. To convincingly portray a woman undergoing such torment, Adjani had to display remarkable emotional and physical vulnerability.

In an intense subway scene, Adjani dramatically escalates her actions, tumbling wildly through the corridor. As her character loses control, Anna tosses her shopping bags everywhere, wallows in spilled food and milk, and mumbles indistinct phrases, indicating a mental collapse. This captivating performance would be challenging to replicate.

The Similarities Go Beyond Physical

In essence, Depp’s and Adjani’s performances share challenging physical aspects, but there’s more to it. Before the movie’s premiere, Depp openly acknowledged that he drew inspiration from Adjani when playing Ellen. Adjani had portrayed Ellen in Werner Herzog’s 1979 adaptation of the 1922 silent film, “Nosferatu: The Vampyre”. This role, along with her performance in “Possession” two years later, showcased her ability to convincingly mix fear and desire on screen.

Instead, Depp drew inspiration not from Adjani’s fearless act in Herzog’s movie, but rather her portrayal of Anna in Possession. Despite having completely different storylines, both films belong to the genre of psychological and supernatural horror, with female leads who are tormented by unsettling visions and thoughts that disrupt their lives. These characters encounter terrifying supernatural entities that cause them to lose control in fits of rage and despair. Furthermore, both women grapple with the truth that these visions or dreams touch upon parts of themselves that society urges them to repress.

Ellen and Anna both grapple with intense, taboo sexual urges that they find difficult to discuss or acknowledge without discomfort. On a subconscious level, they perceive these experiences as abnormal. For Ellen, it’s the unsettling connection she has with a vampire who craves her blood. For Anna, it’s an evil presence that aims to manipulate her body for demonic intentions. Despite their initial reluctance, these encounters have sparked their sexual awakening, which had previously lain dormant. Over time, Ellen and Anna learn to embrace their desires in unique ways; Ellen manages to restrain her possessor from causing further harm.

Nosferatu is currently playing in theaters.

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2025-01-19 02:02