I've always been fascinated by vampires and vampire lore. I'm not a gothic recluse or anything, but I really am just interested in the myth and lore behind the ‘vampire’ and the various other creatures associated with them. It is sort of darkly ironic that there are almost no good vampire movies out there though. Interview with a Vampire? Terrible. Bram Stoker's Dracula? What was Coppola smoking? There really is just nothing of quality out there. In fact, you have to go back about 84 years until you find a quality vampire movie; Nosferatu. I did have some problems with it, but overall it was still a classic vampire movie with revolutionary visuals.
I thought it was kind of sad that nothing had surpassed Nosferatu since it was shot in 1922; that is, until I saw the German remake of it. Nosferatu the Vampyre is acclaimed director Werner Herzog's take on what is one of his favourite films, Nosferatu. I actually think Herzog's work surpasses that of the original, making The Vampyre my official favourite vampire film.
Herzog played his cards right in the making of The Vampyre - he actually didn't really change all that much. In terms of story and timeline, almost nothing is changed. He keeps the classic essence of the original and doesn’t try to fix something that wasn’t broken in the first place. Herzog also attempted to mimic the characteristic visuals of the original, and he defiantly succeeded. From the incredible opening credit sequence to the unique and signature play on shadows, the film turned out to be even more visually pleasing than its predecessor. I was a bit disappointed that a few shots, such as Count Dracula rising from his coffin, where cut out, but these absences are forgivable as the rest of the film is so stunning to look at. There actually are some brilliant shots that he added which I thought were excellent editions. I just love the dinner scene in the middle of the streets – it’s just so surreal!
Klaus Kinski (big surprise there) played Dracula and did a brilliant job. I actually felt he gave Count Orlok another dimension; his performance gave Orlok and added sense of lust and desire, which I felt worked brilliantly and helped to make the character more diverse. The other actors are a bit amateurish, but that is to be expected. The performances were wooden in the original, and Herzog typically uses non professional actors, almost as if it were his trademark.
As I said earlier, the story is not much changed. However, there were a couple of additions. For example, Count Dracula is expanded as a character and the theme of immortality is added. I really, really loved Dracula’s musings on death and immortality, and his lines about how immortality is a curse and death a blessing were an extremely worthy addition and I actually can really identify with them. I also adored how the ending was changed. I can not really say what happens, but needless to say there was a little subplot added which works marvelously. I loved the ending and the final shot is one of my favorites.
Overall I was really happy with this movie, both as a vampire movie and an adaptation. Werner Herzog has yet to disappoint me, and his Nosferatu The Vampyre is no exception. It maintains the eerie and ghostly visuals of the original, as well as taking them up a notch. While the movie really isn’t scary, it has a wonderful darkness about it, and the themes brought forth are both relevant and well explored. The acting, other than Klaus Kinski, was amateurish for the most part and it was occasionally a bit too slow paced, but in the end these things don’t hugely affect the overall quality of the film. I’m glad to be able to say this is my favourite vampire movie. At this rate, it will be another 50 years before something surpasses this title, so I have a long time to savour it. If you are a fan of Herzog, Nosferatu, vampire movies, or simply quality filmmaking, I would give this one a shot.
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