Nosferatu

Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is more than a reworking of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent classic; it's a timeless visual and thematic work that weaves gothic horror, psychological torment and historical verisimilitude into a thrilling exploration of human frailty and forbidden desire. In revisiting one of cinema's most enduring myths, Robert Eggers creates not only a tribute to its progenitors, but also a deeply personal film - a meditation on the darkness that lurks within and around us. Nosferatu retains the fundamental elements of its source material: Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), a vampiric figure from the Carpathians, becomes involved with Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), the wife of an ambitious real estate agent, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult). However, Eggers' adaptation delves deeper into the psyche of his characters, transforming this familiar tale into a haunting tale of repression, obsession and self-destruction.

The heart of the film lies in Ellen Hutter, a character reimagined with striking complexity and psychological depth. Lily-Rose Depp delivers a revealing performance, her character both ethereal and corporeal, caught between societal constraints and primal instincts. The film opens with her desperate prayer: a plea for comfort from a life marked by isolation and misunderstood desires. This cry, however, awakens not salvation but misfortune in the form of Count Orlok, whose arrival seems less a curse imposed on Ellen than an extension of her inner torment. The bond between Ellen and Orlok is as much psychological as supernatural. Eggers creates a bond between them that seems inevitable, predestined and disturbingly intimate. Ellen's crises, her nocturnal visions and the unspoken eroticism of her encounters with Orlok become physical manifestations of the repression imposed on her by a patriarchal society. In one of the film's most chilling moments, she writhes in bed, her body contorting as if possessed, not by an external demon, but by her own repressed desires. This depiction of Ellen as a woman both consumed by and complicit in her torment deepens the story, making her struggle profoundly human.

Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgård, is a triumph of characterization and conception. This is not the suave, aristocratic vampire of Stoker's Dracula, but a monstrous, decaying embodiment of pestilence and primal hunger. Bill Skarsgård, buried beneath prostheses that render him unrecognizable, lends Orlok a physicality that is both grotesque and hypnotic. His movements are deliberate yet animalistic, his voice a guttural growl that seems to emanate from the earth itself. This Orlok is not a seducer but a force of nature, a reminder of the inevitability of death and the darkness that broods in the human soul. Yet Orlok is not entirely devoid of pathos. Robert Eggers and Bill Skarsgård give him a tragic dimension, that of a being cursed to exist beyond mortality, driven by an insatiable appetite that denies him the peace of death. His obsession with Ellen is both terrifying and pitiful, a reflection of his own desire to escape. In this sense, Orlok becomes a mirror for the film's characters and, by extension, for the audience - a monstrous manifestation of humanity's baser impulses and unfulfilled desires.

In visual terms, Nosferatu is a total success. Jarin Blaschke's cinematography evokes the chiaroscuro of 19th-century Gothic art, with desaturated color palettes verging on monochrome, plunging the film into an eternal twilight. Shadows dominate the frame, creeping across the walls and engulfing the characters in a visual metaphor for the darkness that pervades the story. The interplay of light and shadow is reminiscent of Murnau's original, but Blaschke's modern techniques add a tactile, immersive quality that gives the world of Nosferatu a timeless yet immediate feel. Production designer Craig Lathrop creates a richly textured world, from the dilapidated grandeur of Orlok's castle to the bustling streets of Wisborg. Every element of the set feels alive, imbued with a sense of history and foreboding. The castle, in particular, becomes a character in its own right - a labyrinth of crumbling stones and flickering candles that reflect Orlok's decrepit form and the psychological disintegration of his victims. Linda Muir's costume design further enhances the film's authenticity and thematic resonance. Ellen's constricting corsets and flowing gowns reflect her duality: the societal constraints that shackle her and the inner turmoil that seeks liberation. Orlok's tattered clothes and musty furs evoke an ancient, almost otherworldly nobility, which contrasts sharply with his dilapidated physique.

Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is more than a horror film; it's a meditation on fear, desire and the corrupting influence of power. The vampire, as a symbol, represents not only death, but also the transgression of society's limits. Orlok's arrival in Wisborg brings not only physical decay in the form of plague-ridden rats, but also moral and psychological corruption that spreads like an infection. His presence exposes the fragility of human constructs - marriage, religion, community - and reveals the chaos that underlies them. The film's exploration of the role of women is particularly striking. Ellen's journey from passive victim to active participant in her destiny echoes broader themes of empowerment and sacrifice. Her final act, both provocative and tragic, underscores the price to be paid for confronting her darkness and the societal forces that seek to stifle it.

While Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård dominate the narrative, the supporting cast adds layers of complexity and intrigue. Nicholas Hoult, as Thomas Hutter, is a fascinating study in fragility, his ambition and naiveté making him a pawn in Orlok's machinations. Willem Dafoe, as the eccentric Professor Von Franz, infuses the film with moments of dark humor and offbeat brilliance, his character a counterweight to the omnipresent despair. Emma Corrin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, as Anna and Friedrich Harding, offer a glimpse of normalcy and stability, their lives in stark contrast to Ellen's crumbling. Yet even they are not immune to the chaos wrought by Orlok, their fates a reminder of the indiscriminate nature of the vampire's influence.

Nosferatu is a film of contradictions: beautiful and grotesque, intimate and epic, faithful and subversive. Robbert Eggers embraces the Gothic tradition while infusing it with his own sensibility, creating a work that is both timeless and singularly contemporary. The film's deliberate pacing and dialogue-heavy scenes may alienate some viewers, but for those willing to surrender to its spell, Nosferatu offers a cinematic experience of unparalleled depth and artistic quality. With its chilling images, top-notch performances and resonant themes, Nosferatu is a testament to the enduring power of horror as a means of exploring the human condition. It's a film that lingers in the mind like a shadow, a haunting reminder that the darkness we fear most often lies within ourselves. Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is no mere remake, it's a resurrection, a masterful work that breathes new life into an ancient legend while daring to confront the eternal questions of mortality, morality and desire.

Nosferatu
Written and directed by Robert Eggers
Based on Nosferatu by Henrik Galeen
Produced by Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Robert Eggers
Starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Cinematography : Jarin Blaschke
Edited by Louise Ford
Music by Robin Carolan
Production companies: Maiden Voyage Pictures, Studio 8, Birch Hill Road Entertainment
Distributed by Focus Features (United States), Universal Pictures (International)
Release dates December 2, 2024 (Berlin), December 25, 2024 (United States, France)
Running time : 132 minutes

Seen December 20, 2024 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 16 seat A19

Mulder's Mark: