A remake of the 1922 gothic horror film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was released to audiences on Christmas day. The original film was the first adaptation of the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker and the first portrayal of vampires on screen. With a shorter title of just Nosferatu, the new film perfectly adapts the classic with some positive additions that contribute to the sinister tone of the story.
The story open our main character, Ellen (played by Lily Rose Depp) calling out to Count Orlok, or Nosferatu, for him to save her from her loneliness. After their connection is established it flashes forward to Ellen and her new husband Thomas (Nicholas Holt) whose real estate job is requiring him to go to the Carpathian Mountains to visit a client and have them sign a deed for a house in their neighborhood. After arriving, Thomas finds out his client is Count Orlock and is attacked and imprisoned by him. Count Orlock steals Thomas’s locket with Ellen’s face and hides on a boat so he can travel to her. Thomas is healed by locals and returns home to Ellen to warn her about Nosferatu. While he was gone, Ellen stayed at a family friend’s house and had to be seen by doctors due to the extreme outbursts she was having at night. Nosferatu arrives in town along with thousands of rats so his killing spree is covered up by the spread of the plague. He visits Ellen at home and warns her if she doesn’t love him back after three nights he will kill everyone she loves. Thomas, their family friend Friedrich, the doctors, and Ellen all try to devise a plan to stop Nosferatu. By the third day, Friedrich’s family had all been killed by Nosferatu and Ellen and one of the doctors decided the best plan was to give in. The doctor distracts the others by bringing them to Nosferatu’s home while at Ellen’s house she calls to him and lays with him all night sacrificing herself to him in turn killing him when the morning sun rises.
The storyline of the movie is heavily lined with figurative language and symbolism. My interpretation of Nosferatu and Ellen’s relationship is that it’s meant to emulate sexual trauma and its long-term effects on people. He first makes the connection with her at a young age and haunts her throughout her life through her night terrors. He hinders her ability to make loving relationships as an adult. Her relationship with Thomas is strained once he arrives again and her night terrors return. She constantly expresses her love for Thomas and how she wishes she could be free of Nosferatu so she can be with her husband in peace. Even the design of Nosferatu is meant to display this message. He’s made to look disgusting and inhuman so the audience recognizes that he’s the villain in Ellen’s story and that this isn’t a forbidden romance. Plenty of other instances of symbolism are sprinkled through like Nosferatu’s reign of terror demonstrated through the deadly plague which was a legitimate issue during the mid 1800s.
The visuals and set in this movie are gorgeous. The dull almost black and white palette used throughout the film emphasizes the melancholic events occurring accompanying the gothic vibe the movie is going for. Nosferatu’s castle also perfectly encapsulates the eerie atmosphere with the dark lighting, abundance of empty rooms, and secret basement containing his coffin. What also makes the visuals notable are the historical accuracy of the costumes, set designs, and minute details. A few notable examples would be headwear of the characters such as Ellen’s bonnet and the traditions that take place like giving your loved one a lock of your hair in a locket. All of these elements work together to truly transport you into the time period which can’t be said for a lot of period pieces produced today.
This film is not for everyone. It dragged on at times due to the old english dialogue and gothic nature of the film. There’s also some more intense or explicit scenes due to the overarching theme of sensual horror. All of this aside, if you are into horror period pieces and can handle grim themes then this film is a must watch.
