When I first clicked on the link to Nosferatu on our class calendar, I was unaware that the film dated back to 1922. Though I was not surprised that the movie was black and white, I was disappointed by the lack of sound. It was also pretty annoying to have to read the captions especially since they remained on the screen long enough for me to reread them several times. Initially, I thought I would not enjoy the film at all, but I got used to the style as the story progressed, and I found it pretty interesting.
The movie did not scare me, but it did creep me out a bit. When Count Dracula was first introduced, I was confused because I thought he would have a cloak with a collar that went high above his neck and visible fangs. Instead, the vampire was portrayed as a tall, skinny, bald man with large pointy ears and claws. The fact that there were no voices in the film made the character seem more disturbing and menacing. The Count’s nightmarish nature was highlighted by his slow, gliding movements and lack of expression all through the piece.
Throughout the film, I found myself unable to identify with any of the characters. I didn’t understand why Harker would travel to Transylvania despite all the horrified reactions he received from his peers. I guess this added to the intended suspense in the film, but it still seemed too unrealistic to me. I also couldn’t relate to Nina. It was clear in the film that she was a very concerned and caring individual, but I didn’t expect her to sacrifice her own life to rid the town of Count Dracula. Nosferatu was, nevertheless, my favorite piece to study this semester.
Citations:
Any Day Now. Digital image. Quick Meme. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3tygtk/.
Our Favorite Vampires. Digital image. Mental Floss. N.p., 22 Oct. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. http://mentalfloss.com/article/17211/our-favorite-vampires.
Question Mark. Digital image. Jackson Hole Art Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://jacksonholearttours.com/ArtBlog/2012/01/24/arts-roll-along-soon-its-whodunit-time/>.
I definitely agreed with many of your points. Although I did not know it dated back to 1922, I knew the film was old so I wasn’t surprised it would be in black and white. Although I am not a fan of black and white films, I was fine with watching Nosferatu; however, I was extremely disappointed when I discovered it was also a silent film. The combination of black and white with silence left me uninterested and unenthusiastic.
Like you, I also did not enjoy the subtitles. I hate having to read captions while watching a movie because I find it annoying and distracting. The text also remained on screen for too long. I often found myself fast forwarding when I finished reading.
Personally, I think I felt a lack of connection with the film because it was so out-dated. I only partially identify with Nina because of her caring and kind nature. She was genuinely scared and concerned for Jonathan.
Overall, I wasn’t too impressed by Nosferatu.
I like your skeleton picture. I too found it annoying how long the commentary was on the screen for. I guess it just goes to show how unused we are to the slow paced life that they lived back then. We are used to vampires and monsters jumping out at us, really dramatic actions in movies, and really fast paced script if there is any. There is no room in our lives for the slowness portrayed by the movie Nosferatu. And it is precisely for that reason that I found the movie refreshing. It gave me a reason to just kickback and relax, because the movie forced me to pay attention. I usually multitask while watching movies, but with the lack of sound, it was necessary for me to pay attention to what was going on in the movie itself. I liked it a lot.