Nosferatu 2024
by Robert Eggers
I am amazed about the divisiveness surrounding the new Robert Eggers film Nosferatu. Judging from the amount of comments I have seen online; some feel it is a cinematic masterpiece, while others feel it's a huge turkey. No matter what your take is, this latest remake of the 1922 F.W. Murnau silent film brings a stylish flair to the proceedings. So let's dig in and dissect what I saw in the film.
Nosferatu opened Christmas day through Focus Features in the United States and Canada. Originally, the film was in development in 2015 and was planned to be Eggers second feature, however, the film maker opted to delay the production. Eventually, the actors were cast and filming got underway in the Czech Republic in the Spring of 2023. The hype around the film has been huge leading up to the Christmas Day release and the immediate impact has been felt by cinema lovers around the globe.
The running time clocks in at 132 minutes, so it's a lengthy affair for a film that strives for a heaviness in tone and scope. Much of the main plot centres around Ellen Hutter (played by Lily-Rose Depp) who is said to be a 'pure' woman and ultimately becomes the target of Count Orlok. Ellen serves as the Mina Harker character from Bram Stoker's novel and goes through a psychic link that becomes tragically possessive at the end of the film.
Beyond this key plot point, we get tons of bickering between Ellen's husband Thomas (played exceptionally by Nicholas Hoult) and others like Friedrich Harding (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Willem Dafoe inserted into the role of Abraham Van Helsing. All three join together to battle Count Orlok after he invades Wisborg; bringing along a plague of rats in the process. At times, this portion of the film segues into over dramatic moments, especially after Orlok is discovered as the Nosferatu – then linking himself to Ellen.
Sure there are many engrossing scenes that follow, but I found Lily-Rose Depp's performance somewhat over-wrought at times. Yes, she's dealing with Orlok's possessiveness of her, however her reaction to that said possession reminded me of Regan from the Exorcist. It worked well at times, but I felt Eggers could have pulled back the reigns a bit. Regardless, she is a fine actress who poured her heart and soul into the role.
Now let's get to the main star of the film. I am sure everyone wants to know about Bill Skarsgard in the role of Count Orlok. Well, this is where Eggers deviated from the iconic look of the Vampire in the previous films. Here we get the count sporting a Vlad Tepes moustache significantly altering his appearance. His look here is more menacing and looking larger than life, sans the whole sickly and thin look we are all used to seeing. I don't doubt some fans will be highly disappointed, but I guess Eggers wanted to put his own stamp on the vampire with this interpretation.
There is much to like here. Many scenes are beautifully shot and touched up with heaping amounts of Gothic expressionism. I found it creepy in parts and definitely a dour look overall. Eggers did a good job of illuminating the dark shadows and bringing a different take than what you got in the Herzog film from 1979. His version of Nosferatu dabbles heavily in the grotesque and doesn't shy away from exploiting it in some vital scenes towards the end of the film. I won't spoil the ending, but let's just quote a line from the 1931 King Kong film – "It was beauty who killed the beast." This statement applies here and it was explicitly disgusting with the final shot of the film.
So much of the film is carried by the weighty performances of it's cast; including the stellar direction from Eggers. Skarsgard alone lost a significant amount of weight and worked with a noted Icelandic opera singer to help adjust his voice to creepy levels. He also underwent 6 hours of applying facial prosthetics each day to ultimately become the sinister Count Orlok. I am sure his performance here will go on to become a cinematic behemoth in years to come.
In the end, Nosferatu is a masterful film of repulsive vampirism and should be seen on the big screen to fully appreciate the stylish cinematography and gritty performances. Let's see how this film fares in the horror zeitgeist years from now.
Kenneth Gallant, HMS