The masterpiece by legendary director F.W. Murnau (1888-1931), NOSFERATU (1922), celebrates the 100th Anniversary today. NOSFERATU brings the first ever vampire film on screen and defines gothic horror. With the compelling cinematography and terrific acting of Max Shreck, NOSFERATU continues to haunt us today.
The Premiere was held on 4 March 1922 in the Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) of Berlin Zoological Garden. The event was planned as a large society evening entitled ‘Das Fest des Nosferatu (Festival of Nosferatu)’. On 15 March, the film opened officially to the public in Germany, then to the rest of Europe and the US.
Only three of Murnau’s first ten films survived and exist only in fragmentary form. NOSFERATU was an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula indeed. In the attempt to dodge copyright law, Marnau simplified the narratives and named the vampire as Count Orlok instead. A court order to destroy the plagiarised film was successfully brought by Stoker’s widow after its public release. Fortunately, thanks to the already widespread distribution, a handful of prints survived.
The film is back to cinema extensively across Europe for the 100th Anniversary. The version widely circulated in cinema and DVD release was digital restored in 2006. The most challenging aspect of the restoration was to examine and to reconstruct a full version from various 16mm and 35mm surviving copies. We will talk about the restoration and reconstruction of the 1922 original score by Hans Erdmann later.
100th Anniversary Trailer: https://youtu.be/npxhdRMYHy0
Photo credit: Eureka Entertainment
