LogFAQs > #946526331

14. Nosferatu (1978 Film) (23 points)
Nominated by: paulg235 (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOTLurSgkYU

Importance: 5
Fear: 8
Snake: 10

It may seem taboo to remake such a seminal, ageless, influential classic like Nosferatu (one of my personal favorite horror movies of all time), but in the experienced hands of auteur Werner Herzog, failure or insultation was not even a possibility. This is much more than a remake however, now able to use actual names from Dracula, Herzog expertly weaves elements of Murnau's classic with that of the novel, to craft an atmospheric masterpiece that surpasses both. Klaus Kinski is placed in the role of Dracula here; the look screams Orlok, but the comparisons stop and end there. I dare say this is the best portrayal of Dracula of all time; Kinski wastes no screen time performing every little tic, every look, every gesture with an utter sense of pure unrealness. Herzog's sense of lighting, shadow, the agonizing slow-builds of every scene, with little to no dialogue, it creates this sense that you're there, that you're bearing witness to an actual vampire. Kinski is nearly always cast in total shadow, with only his pale head piercing through, an oppressive use of character building, destroying any sense of comfort or familiarity you may share with the vampire genre. This Dracula is old, sickly, cursed with the inability to die while he ironically brings death and plague wherever he goes. He seeks love, affection, and is a much more contemplative character than most adaptations. Instead of fear, you just sort of find him despicable and pathetic, which definitely has a horror all its own too. You owe it to yourself to experience this depiction of Dracula, unfettered and unfiltered through the keen directorial eye of Werner Herzog in a perfect slice of Gothic fantasy.

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Bare feet on the tile with my head up in the clouds
https://imgur.com/1e1e70S