Historical/Industry context

Although it was the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Nosferatu did not have the blessing of the Stoker estate. It was therefore deemed necessary to change the names of the characters in order to maintain at least a fig leaf of copyright decorum. This was not sufficient, however, to placate Stoker’s widow, who filed suit and obtained a court order requiring the destruction of all prints of Nosferatu. Fortunately for film historians, some prints fell through the cracks and survived. Director F.W. Murnau drew on both the Expressionist visual style and on the literary tradition of German Romanticism for his visualization of Stoker’s story. Fantasy tropes seemed to come naturally to Murnau, who was one of world cinema’s most gifted visual stylists.

Genre Context

Since the horror film genre was not yet well established in 1922, Nosferatu may be regarded as one of the seminal progenitors of the genre. What visual and/or narrative elements can you identify in the film that would later be incorporated into the conventions of the horror genre?

Narrative context

One of the dominant themes of early German cinema is the theme of the doppelgänger, which literally translates as “double walker.” The term refers to a person’s “double,” or other self. This doesn’t always mean that the two characters resemble each other. It may refer to two different aspects of one personality. This theme is often developed visually through the use of mirrors or other reflections. In what ways does Nosferatu make use of the doppelgänger theme?

Much of the narrative appears to be driven by negotiation and deal-making. What are some examples?

Fantasy stories often emphasize the journey that takes us from the world of reality to the world of fantasy. In The Wizard of Oz, for example, Dorothy must travel “over the rainbow” to get to Oz. In what way(s) does Nosferatu portray this transition?

How would you describe the nature of the complex relationship between Hutter, Ellen, and Count Orlock?

Vampire stories are almost always about sex, one way or another. The vampire’s victims are usually portrayed as more seduced than attacked. In what way(s) is sexuality implied in Nosferatu? Is it a healthy sexuality or a perverse sexuality?

What is the significance of the references to the plague?

What is the significance of the name of the ship that carries Count Orlock to Wisborg (“The Demeter”)?

Rhetorical context

Hutter falls into the vampire’s clutches because he is driven by the desire for financial gain to sell property to Orlock. Does this represent an indictment of greed?

The film seems to make the case that vampirism is, to a certain extent, natural as well as supernatural. Note the comparisons with Venus flytrap plants, polyps, spiders, etc. Is the film suggesting that we are all vampires in some sense?

Aesthetic context – Mise en scene

Murnau uses windows throughout the film, particularly in connection with Ellen. Why?

Murnau uses archways throughout the film in connection with Orlock. Why?

Cross cutting is used several times, sometimes three-way cross cutting. What are some examples? How does this cross cutting help to develop the narrative?

It has been said that the structure of Nosferatu has as much to do with principles of musical structure as with principles of narrative structure. This is certainly implicit in the full title: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. How do musical aesthetics manifest themselves in the film?