As a cinephile who’s spent countless hours immersed in the annals of cinematic history, I can confidently say that Robert Eggers‘ upcoming remake of F.W. Murnau’s timeless horror masterpiece, “Nosferatu,” has piqued my interest like a fresh wound on a moonlit night.
Since the beginning of early cinema, Count Dracula has been featured in hundreds of movies. However, the first time audiences were introduced to Bram Stoker’s blood-sucking character was in F.W. Murnau’s unofficial silent film adaptation Nosferatu where the book’s names and details were changed. Compared to adapting yet another Dracula movie, American filmmaker Robert Eggers decided to sink his teeth into a Nosferatu remake — and he has a good reason for choosing this upcoming horror film as his next venture.
Since Nosferatu is an unauthorized version of Dracula, one might expect Eggers to adapt the renowned Bram Stoker novel. Yet, Eggers explained to Screen Rant his reasoning for remaking F.W. Murnau’s timeless silent horror film instead.
In essence, the original novel by Stoker is jam-packed with Victorian elements, making it a bit too complex for some. On the other hand, I find the Murnau adaptation to be more of a straightforward fairy tale. What truly makes the Stoker novel enduring and adaptable over time is its core, which is a simple fairy tale, providing endless inspiration for over a century.
It’s clear that Eggers shares similar sentiments as us. Transforming a book brimming with Victorian elements might not strike a chord with today’s audience, and it seems it wasn’t the tale he intended to convey. Notably, his past films like The Witch, which delved into Puritan anxieties about witches, and The Lighthouse, which tapped into maritime legends, suggest a fascination with horror folklore and mythology. Instead, he appears more interested in the core of the story: a young woman battling the supernatural terror embodied by a chilling vampire.
In the revamped horror film based on the public domain classic, “Nosferatu”, the narrative is being reimagined from the perspective of the real estate agent Thomas Hutter’s wife, Ellen (portrayed by a yet-to-be-named actress), rather than Thomas himself. Director Robert Eggers has emphasized that this change in perspective adds depth and intrigue to his modern take on this timeless tale.
“What I found particularly captivating about the Murnau film was its finale, where the female character emerges as the heroine. I believe the narrative could have been even more engaging if it were told entirely from her perspective, enhancing its emotional and psychological depth beyond a typical real estate agent’s adventure. Despite being a terrifying horror movie with jump scares, it is essentially a gothic romance, exploring themes of love and obsession.
Female empowerment is surely something that will hook modern audiences compared to the classic horror trope of a damsel in distress. Rather than seeing Ellen as merely a victim of Count Orlok’s obsessions through the eyes of Thomas Hutter, her perspective allows us to delve into her mind to further understand her mental state and inner strength. The modern plot change allows audiences to get to know a complex character rather than Ellen simply being used as a plot device.
Robert Eggers is intimately familiar with the tale of “Nosferatu”, having been deeply captivated by the classic German Expressionist vampire movie since his youth. Over countless viewings, he has come to know each character inside and out, which gives him a unique insight into the story’s direction. He also shared why Ellen was an ideal focus for the film rather than Thomas Hutter or even Count Orlok themselves: this choice allowed for a fresh perspective on the narrative.
Using her perspective, let’s delve deeper into the subject matter, avoiding the melancholic narrative of an unrequited, tormented vampire in love, as that particular theme doesn’t hold my fascination.
The director of “The Northman” presents a valid argument against developing empathy for Count Orlok. Previous films have faced criticism for adopting the villain’s perspective, as seen in the case of “Joker,” where one major critique was the creation of a tragic background to evoke sympathy for Arthur Fleck during his descent into anarchy. Additionally, the overused “lovelorn vampire” narrative has lost its charm. If Eggers aims for a fairy tale, I concur that it’s best to maintain a straightforward approach.
Listen, the best vampire movies have starred blood-sucking mythical creatures in various forms, including the archetypal vampire in the Dracula movies, the child-like beings in Let the Right One In, or even the sparkly romantic ones found in Twilight. This time around, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake tells us we’ll be going back to the eerie roots of the vampire myth with Bill Skarsgård’s version of Count Orlok so “terrifying” that promotions don’t even show his face! Frankly, I can’t wait.
The 2024 movie release of Nosferatu will be in theaters on Christmas Day.
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2024-12-20 21:38