Nosferatu

I saw this film over a month ago but held back on logging so pardon the late review. First and foremost, I must apologize to Lily Rose Depp; I was not familiar with your game. But more on that later. My favorite thing about Nosferatu is how unabashedly gothic it is in its horror. Eggers leans so hard into building a sense of dread rather than outright fear. This is an adaptation of an adaptation of one of the most prominent novels in the English language. You already know what has to happen and if you don't know, then you at least know the vibes. Ellen already knows Orlok is going to come for her. You as the viewer already know that freaky ass vampire is going to fuck some shit up. The horror for both of you is knowing that destruction is inevitable, just like death. That's what gothic horror is all about, baby. It's not a palatable genre, but it's an important one. It's dirty and distressing and unapologetic. It so often gets watered down for the sake of romance and aesthetics. This commitment to the genre and its functions is a breath of fresh air. And can we hear a little commotion for bringing back nighttime scenes where you can actually see what's going on unless it's intentional? Cinema is so back. Jarin Blaschke using blue and sepia tones not just as a reference to the original 1922 film, but as a means to create a particular dynamic to fit Eggers voice and vision is the reason he earned that Oscar nomination. Every shot of Orlok feels like you're looking at him out of the corner of your eye until the end is a brilliant way to build that sense of dread. There isn't a single sloppy performance in this movie, but Lily Rose Depp is most definitely the standout. Melodramatic often has negative connotations, however, it's the most apt description of the fine line Ellen walks between material and mental worlds. Depp does such a fantastic job at expressing the depression that comes with the constant sense that you do not belong where you are - that there is something deeply different and wrong about you that everyone else is painfully aware of. You know, the one that leaves you feeling unlovable and inhuman. She is clearly missing something, maybe something that was taken from her. She has a clear insight into a realm no one else can see, but those around her write it off as an annoying little quirk. At least until von Franz shows up. She is sad and desperate and frightened and angry. When she does snap, it's out of rage that she satiates with lust. It's an unnervingly realistic depiction of a response to trauma/repression set to a melodramatic tune. It's aggressively feminine and, not to be the friend that's too woke, I think that's why men in particular have had such a difficult time appreciating the depth in this work. I have to give my props to miss Lily Rose. I hope she continues to work with directors that can tap into whatever she's got going on because she has been sorely misused through her acting career. We should all send her five dollars. Before I get glazing accusations, I do have critiques. Ellen and Thomas' relationship could've been fleshed out more. There is a scene in Dracula where Mina and Jonathan decide to get married in the hospital after he escapes Transylvania that would've been very fitting here - although perhaps I'm biased as I maintain that it's one of the most romantic things I've ever read. There was a clear care for another while they were apart, but a disconnect when they were together. It seemed intentional enough, but at times just kind flattened the relationship. This portrayal of industrial German felt like it was trying to be industrial London. Because of this, I think some of the underlying pre-versus-post-industrial themes ended up lost. I will be the friend who's too woke here and say that we've progressed past the point of needing to use the g-slur to indicate a group of Roma. That said, I've given a star back for the little more than bare minimum effort Eggers took to portray the Romani villagers. It shouldn't be that uncommon to see Romani faces playing Romani people. The image of Ellen defeating evil by bringing it into the light, even though it kills her too is going to stick with me forever. That's such an incredible use of the vampire-sunlight trope (that the original Nosferatu is a pioneer of). But that's what this film does best. Like I said earlier, it's an adaptation of an adaptation of one of the most famous books ever written. It uses all the tools of its predecessors to create something that is a masterpiece in its own right. There's so much more to say about this film. Perhaps upcoming projects will allow me to do a scene-by-scene analysis. But for now, I will leave you with a message of my own; Fuck that nasty old vampire. Fuck the industrial revolution. Fuck anyone who has ever called a girl weird. God Bless Willem DaFriend.