As a cinephile who has spent countless hours delving into the annals of cinematic history and appreciating the works of visionaries like Robert Eggers, I must confess that his latest offering, “Nosferatu,” left me rather underwhelmed. While Eggers’ ability to transport us to otherworldly realms through painstaking period detail is unparalleled, this film seemed to be missing the emotional core and unsettling energy that have made his previous works so captivating.
As a film enthusiast since my tender age of nine, I was captivated by F. W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu” after glimpsing Max Schreck in his chilling portrayal of Count Orlok – an unforgettable adaptation of Dracula that rivals any version of Bram Stoker’s vampire. Enthralled by the experience, I transformed this 1922 classic into a high school play staged at the Edwin Booth Theater in New Hampshire, my childhood home. The image of the budding filmmaker working alongside my future theater director friend Ashley Kelly Tata, much like two gothic Max Fischers, is heartwarming – a fitting prelude for someone who made waves at Sundance in 2015 with “The Witch,” a film renowned for its authentic period detail and chilling atmosphere.
In a surprising twist, F.W. Murnau’s classic film “Nosferatu” boasts stunning still images, yet falters when moving, creating an unsettling feeling that is at odds with the tale of a compulsive demon lover and his unwilling bride. Conversely, Robert Eggers’ filmmaking style is far from transient, and each of his previous films – “The Witch”, “The Lighthouse”, and “The Northman” – have an immediate, vibrant feel that “Nosferatu” lacks. The issue with Eggers’ vampire drama lies in the very aspect that gives his earlier work its eerie intensity: his ability to portray the past as a foreign land inhabited by beings who not only look different but also perceive the universe differently than we do. The intricate details of 17th-century Puritan settlements, an isolated 19th-century New England island, and 10th-century Norse communities were more than mere decorations; they served to highlight the otherworldliness of the characters traversing them. Unfortunately, while “Nosferatu” is equally detailed in its reconstruction of the fictional 1838 German port city of Wisburg, these elaborate elements do not contribute to a strong emotional core or the characters’ inner lives.
A significant issue arises from the selection of Lily-Rose Depp for the role of Ellen, a passive character compared to Thomasin, the protagonist in The Witch, portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy. Ellen, like Thomasin, is affected by the rigid norms of her time, with her psychic sensitivities misconstrued as hysteria or mental illness. When possessed by the immortal vampire, Depp delivers impressive physical performances, such as twisting her spine, distorting her face, and rolling her eyes, all without the aid of special effects. However, in other scenes, Ellen appears static, her character seemingly aimless and awaiting death. Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal of Thomas Hutter, Ellen’s loving yet naive husband, is more engaging, especially since his character embarks on a journey when tasked with completing a real estate deal for a Transylvanian aristocrat. The sequences involving Thomas’s progression towards Orlok’s cursed castle, despite the warnings he receives, are the most captivating aspect of Nosferatu. The scene where an empty coach approaches from a distance and swerves to meet Thomas at a snowy crossroads carries the dreamlike eeriness and unavoidable doom of a nightmare that one cannot awaken from.
Thomas finds himself partly deceived and enticed into a run-down castle, where Bill Skarsgård’s character Orlok resides, hidden in shadows even when they share the same room. Once inside, Thomas displays clear fear. Rory Kinnear’s anxious expression, with his wide, teary eyes, adds tension to the film, as Orlok embarks on a perilous sea voyage to Germany and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character Friedrich scours for a cure for his sister’s worsening seizures. The movie, Nosferatu, gains intensity from these moments, as Orlok departs on the ill-fated ship and Friedrich searches for help. Emma Corrin portrays Ellen’s sibling, Anna, while Willem Dafoe appears as the enigmatic Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, who has expertise in the supernatural. A scene featuring Simon McBurney as Orlok’s companion, performing a dark ritual, is reminiscent of a similar scene in Eggers’ earlier work, where a witch prepares a harmful concoction. In The Witch, this image is chilling due to its wickedness and the camera’s close approach to something disturbing. However, in this new film, it serves as just another visually appealing moment.
As a cinephile, I found “Nosferatu” intriguing, particularly the notion that Orlok and Ellen share a mutual resentment towards their connection, mirroring a doomed journey reminiscent of a supernatural reinterpretation of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” However, these ideas feel only partially explored, surfacing like fragments in a film that otherwise feels excessively stark. When the characters’ erotic death dreams seem detached and impersonal, it suggests the film has drifted away from its original inspiration. Unfortunately, “Nosferatu” lacks the vitality or even an undead resurgence that could have breathed life into this production.
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2024-12-23 18:55