Nosferatu - Masters of Cinema: 19/11

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 15 Oct 2007, 07:46

An iconic film of the German expressionist cinema, and one of the most famous of all silent movies, F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror continues to haunt - and, indeed, terrify - modern audiences with the unshakable power of its images. By teasing a host of occult atmospherics out of dilapidated set-pieces and innocuous real-world locations alike, Murnau captured on celluloid the deeply-rooted elements of a waking nightmare, and launched the signature "Murnau-style" that would change cinema history forever.

In this first-ever screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, a simple real-estate transaction leads an intrepid businessman deep into the superstitious heart of Transylvania. There he encounters the otherworldly Count Orlok - portrayed by the legendary Max Schreck, in a performance the very backstory of which has spawned its own mythology - who soon after embarks upon a crosscontinental voyage to take up residence in a distant new land... and establish his ambiguous dominion. As to whether the count's campaign against the plague-wracked populace erupts from satanic decree, erotic compulsion, or the simple impulse of survival - that remains, perhaps, the greatest mystery of all in this film that's like a blackout...

Official MoC Trailer:

Nosferatu

Seems to have the coloured tinting in that trailer.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 15 Oct 2007, 08:59

See http://avplay.avforums.com/index.php?sh ... eview=9050

I want to get this, I have the remake 1970 version from Anchor bay, haven't fully seen it. I want this and Faust as well

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 15 Oct 2007, 10:05

Shadow of the Vampire is an awesome companion film to this.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 15 Oct 2007, 11:14

I have several versions of this. Will be interesting to hear the original score

The remake is amazing

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 15 Oct 2007, 12:24

I am getting the BFI version soon (the one scored by the guy who did lots of Hammer film scores), if I like it I will check out the MoC version.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Oct 2007, 14:22

I'm getting the MOC version too. I used to have the BFI version but sold it on. I wonder who I sold it too

It has a great 24 minute featurette, well worth seeing if you own the DVD. Pity it's not on the new MOC but I'm sure the new extras will be equally as good. It has a very good score.

The colour tinting is crucial. Nosferatu was shot entirely in the day time but the entire point is if he sees daylight he will die. All the black and white versions make it obvious it was shot in daylight and completely lose that effect.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 15 Oct 2007, 14:32

Yeah, the film was shot day for night. The BFI version has English intertitles, the MoC has the original German intertitles. Would be interesting to hear the original score.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Oct 2007, 14:38

The majority of the film is set at night.

I'm a bit dubious of the German inter-titles with English subtitles. I know the German ones are original but I cannot read German and it is a UK release. The inter-titles should be easier to read than subtitles covering the whole screen. I'm sure it will be fine though, it's not as if there is "that" much to read.

Having now seen it I don't think it's outstanding, it is a little bit boring in places but the imagery is so amazing it's worth owning for that alone.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 15 Oct 2007, 16:28

Intertitles with subs isn't so bad but I do prefer pure English intertitles over German with subs

The Eureka DVD of The Golem allowed one to change between German and English intertitles using the angle button but there were no English subs

As a film Nosferatu isn't that brilliant but its iconic value is through the roof - love the Blue Oyster Cult song. All things considered, I prefer The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:04

Ivan Drago wrote:The Eureka DVD of The Golem allowed one to change between German and English intertitles using the angle button but there were no English subs

That's a neat idea.

It's a pity the angle feature of DVD never took off. It works really well on live performances. I have a very early DVD which uses it and it works well.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:11

omg - i want to watch this film right now!

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 16 Oct 2007, 10:57

I've seen multiple angles used extensively on some porn DVDs.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 16 Oct 2007, 13:44

Ghostbuster Special Effects and Bad Boys: Special Edition - Information on Gun both used angles to good effect.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 16 Oct 2007, 14:35

That's just two DVDs though. It's a wasted opportunity.

EvaUnit02 wrote:I've seen multiple angles used extensively on some porn DVDs.

It would work well there but not really the best use of the format.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Nov 2007, 09:41

There's also a R1 "Ultimate DVD Edition" coming:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php ... ge=1&pp=25

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Nov 2007, 15:14

Surprise, surprise

. Thanks Grim.

Does that link say what the spec. will be? I just having a look through it but it was mostly geek talk. I'm no rush to pick up any version. The UK SE is still expensive at the moment. I will pick it up though.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Nov 2007, 16:26

Sorry - specs:

NOSFERATU
THE ULTIMATE DVD EDITION

A cornerstone of the horror film, F.W. Murnau's NOSFERATU is triumphantly
reborn in this breathtaking new restoration by the F.W. Murnau Foundation.
Backed by an orchestral performance of Hans Erdmann's 1922 score (recorded
in 5.1 stereo surround), this Kino International edition is derived from a
new high-definition transfer of Murnau's masterpiece, with unprecedented
visual clarity and historical faithfulness to the original release version.
This double-disc collection presents the film with the original German
intertitles as well as with newly-translated Englishintertitles. Accompanying the film is a
52-minute documentary by Luciano Berriatúa which provides a detailed account
of the production and explores the filmmakers' involvement in the occult.

NOSFERATU: A Symphony of Horror
Germany 1922 94 Min. Color Tinted 1.33:1
Directed by F.W. Murnau Photographed by Fritz Arno Wagner
Screenplay: Henrik Galeen Art Direction: Albin Grau
With Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Alexander Granach, Greta Schroeder
Restored by Luciano Berriatúa
Reconstruction of Hans Erdmann's original 1921 score by Berndt Heller
Performed by the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Berndt Heller
Sound Recording: Saarländischer Rundfunk, Saarbrücken

Extras on DVD

View the film with newly-translated English intertitles
or the original German intertitles (with optional English subtitles)
Hans Erdmann's original 1922 score, available
in 5.1 Stereo Surround or 2.0 Stereo
The Language of Shadows, a 52-minute making-of documentary
Nosferatu: An Historic Film Meets Digital Restoration, a 3-minute documentary
Lengthy excerpts from other films by F.W. Murnau:
Journey Into the Night (1920), The Haunted Castle (1921),
Phantom (1922), The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924),
The Last Laugh (1924), Tartuffe (1925),
Faust (1926), and Tabu (1931)
Photo Gallery
Scene Comparison

I will get the UK SE of Nosferatu too, maybe the R1 SE of Battleship Potemkin but I'm not sure.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Nov 2007, 16:32

Thanks.

It looks pretty much the same except you have the choice of German or English inter-titles. I bet it is the same, except encoded into NTSC.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 19 Nov 2007, 18:43

Kino's DVDs of European silent tend to be PAL-NTSC so you're better off with the UK version - assuming there is one. Nosferatu has one but will there be a UK DVD of Waxworks or Warning Shadows? Probably not so the Kino is the best bet

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Nov 2007, 19:28

Cheers Ivan.

The UK DVD is PAL. I was expecting it to be NTSC like Kwaidan but it's not.

I'm actually in two thoughts whether to pick up the Master of Cinema DVD. On the one hand Nosferatu is an amazing piece of work and definitely enjoyed parts of it but on the other hand it's really hard work, and I'm really not sure I have any interest in watching it right through again. This is very likely to do with the fact it's 85 years old and silent too.

I'm really not sure. I'll reconsider it when it's cheap.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 20 Nov 2007, 07:31

The MoC NTSC releases are primarily US and Japanese titles. I don't think any of the European films they've released are NTSC

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Nov 2007, 16:13

Thanks

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 20 Nov 2007, 17:30

This article on the restoration and some of the earlier DVDs - http://www.celtoslavica.de/chiaroscuro/ ... e/nos.html

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 21 Nov 2007, 09:05

I might get it when it comes down in price.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 03 Dec 2007, 22:24

UK 2 Disc SE vs. USA 2 Disc SE (including a nice summarisation of each version) -

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRevie ... feratu.htm

The UK SE edition is clearly the way to go, even if it wasn't exactly clever to lay the subs over the text. The USA SE having one version on a DVD5 probably doesn't hurt things too much when the film is so old and only 88 minutes long anyway, even so.