Nosferatu The Vampire (1979)
Directed by Werner Herzog, and some of its hazy, dreamy shots and atmosphere reminiscent of other Herzog movies such as Aguirre, this will bore some and entrall others. It enthralled me, but it is glacially slow and mannered. The tenseness in the odd scenes where, for example, Dracula (for that’s what he’s called here) just stands staring at Harker are mesmeric. There’s plenty of what I think is called “Rembrandt Lighting”, and an amazing shot where virtually all is black apart the the Count’s white, revolting face, who looks wistfully with a 1000-yard stare into his own personal abyss. Equally haunting is Isabelle Adjani as the heroine, clearly dressed, made-up and deporting herself like a silent-era scream-queen, and some amazing shots in the rat-infested city, such as troops of black-clad men carrying coffin after coffin.
Some of the characterisations are just weird. Van Helsing (or Von Helsing here – by the way, I watched the German version) seems a tired old guy, as does some town official charged with arresting him at the end, who is an oddly Monty Pythonesque scene starts arguing with the man in charge, because there is no one left to guard prisoners, as everyone died of the plague…
I really enjoyed this movie, it did the three things I need for a film to be great – it entertained, it enthralled, and it enlightened. Really glad I watched it, thoroughly recommended.