In 1922, during the German Expressionist movement of early silent cinema, director F.W. Murnau released the horror film Nosferatu onto an unsuspecting audience. The film’s image of the Dracula fill-in Count Orlock, portrayed by actor Max Schreck, became an iconic staple of horror movie history. Almost eight decades later, director E. Elias Merhige brings a secret history of the classic film’s creation to the screen in Shadow of the Vampire. The film opens with an intertitle card explaining how Marnau (John Malkovich) was unable to secure the rights for Dracula from Bram Stoker’s estate, but went on with the production under a different name. On a sound stage in Berlin, Marnau is filming the first scenes of his production Nosferatu with German actors Gustav von Wangenheim (Eddie Izzard) and Greta Schroeder (Catherine McCormack). After the shoot, the movie’s producer Albin (Udo Kier) discusses the crew’s plan to film much of the picture on location in a castle in Slovakia. There is also talk of the actor that Farnau has found to play their vampire. Max Schreck is apparently a method actor that will only appear in character, in full costume and make-up, and at night. Once the cast and crew has moved to their new location, they film the first scene in the castle where Count Orlock (Willem Dafoe) slides forth from the shadows much to everyone’s horror. All are impressed by the actor’s look and commitment to his character, but after the scene has finished, the camera man wanders off, then is found ill.
It turns out that Marnau is a stickler for making the film as real as possible. To this effect, he has secretly made a deal with a real ancient vampire to play Count Orlock in his picture. While many of the shots go quite well, with actors and crew alike finding Orlock’s performance to be very effective, the vampire is picking of members of Marnau’s production staff and draining them of blood between takes. Marnau confronts Orlock on this matter, reminding the Count that he had promised not to harm his people. It turns out that the only person that Orlock really wants is the star actress Greta Shroeder, whom Marnau is willing to sacrifice to finish his film. This movie adds another layer of fear, insanity, and off-beat humor onto the classic film from which it is derived. I would consider both Marnau and Orlock monsters in this picture. Marnau is driven mad by his own production, trying to wrangle his actors, crew, and an undead being which he finds out, much too late, that he cannot control. It seems that Orlock tries to keep his own vampire impulses in check, for a while, but eventually realizes that the person with whom he as made his deal holds little to no sway over his actions. Marnau turns a blind eye to death after death, so long as he can still make his masterpiece.
Comments
Post a Comment