Nosferatu (1922 film): Murnau's Expressionist vampire classic

Plot and principal characters

The plot follows a young real estate agent who travels to a remote castle to meet a reclusive noble, Count Orlok, and brings the count back to a northern port city with tragic consequences. Orlok is depicted as a rat‑like, pallid figure with elongated fingers and a bald head, played by Max Schreck. The film emphasizes mood, atmosphere and visual metaphor over dialogue, using shadow and composition to suggest menace and disease rather than explicit action.

Production, release and legal controversy

Nosferatu was filmed in 1921 and released in Germany in 1922. Its producers modified names and details from Bram Stoker's novel, but the estate of Bram Stoker successfully sued for unauthorized adaptation. A court ruling led to an order that existing copies be destroyed and the producing company was effectively driven out of business amid accusations of copyright infringement. Despite that decision, prints survived and the film has been circulated widely; in the United States it is often treated as being in the public domain, while its legal status in parts of Europe, including Germany, has been more complex.

Style, cinematography and themes

Murnau combined studio sets with on‑location photography and unconventional camera placement to create a dreamlike realism. The film uses high-contrast lighting, extended shadows and deliberate pacing to convey dread and loneliness. Rather than relying on overt gore, it evokes contagion and mortality, linking the vampire’s presence to decay and the spread of plague imagery. The performance of the lead and the makeup design contributed to a creature image that diverged sharply from later romanticized vampires.

Reception and cultural legacy

At the time of its release Nosferatu did not achieve commercial success for its makers, but over decades it developed a strong critical reputation and a devoted following. It is regularly included in lists of important films and has been praised by modern critics; for example contemporary review aggregations have shown overwhelmingly positive assessments, and the film was later recognized by publications such as Empire. Its influence extends to visual conventions in horror cinema, the popular image of the vampire on film, and subsequent filmmakers who adapted or referenced its imagery.

Adaptations, homages and notable facts

• Several feature films draw deliberately on Murnau’s work, including Werner Herzog’s 1979 reinterpretation and fictionalized treatments such as Shadow of the Vampire, which imagines the making of the original.
• The film’s visual iconography — elongated silhouette, sparse sets, and uncanny locomotion — remains a touchstone in discussions of the horror aesthetic and the portrayal of the undead.
• Despite legal efforts to suppress it, Nosferatu achieved lasting prominence and a wide cult following, often screened in restorations and accompanied by live music.
• Modern critical aggregates and retrospectives continue to rank the film highly; for instance it holds strong approval among contemporary reviewers on platforms such as Rotten Tomatoes.

Nosferatu’s combination of legal intrigue, daring visual design and a distinctive central monster ensures its place as one of the most discussed and studied films from the silent era. For those exploring early horror cinema it remains an essential and influential work.