Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror

F.W. Murnau employs several cinematic elements in his film, Nosferatu, to enhance the evilness of the vampire. These elements include: camera, lighting, mise-en-scene, and editing. Each one interacts with the other to contribute to the horror of Nosferatu.

Murnau emphasized Nosferatu’s height and arched back by using a low camera angle. The vampire seems more monstrous, awkward and gruesome by using this angle. At times Nosferatu was not directly filmed. Rather they used his shadow to present a more sinister evil which is forbidden. This leads the audience to fear him more. Nosferatu is too evil even to show.

Murnau used an iris. The iris opened in the light or when Thomas (in all his innocence) was shown. It closed when Nosferatu (evil) was to come or when night had fallen. He used negative footage for the forests and animals to give it more of a mystic feel. This enhanced the feel of Nosferatu’s magical power.

The whole frame is used simultaneously. There is action in the foreground, middle, and background. For example, Helen looks out the window in the foreground of the frame. There is a funeral procession taking place in the middle and the background of the same frame. These are all the vampire’s victims.

The frames are edited in order which allows us to comprehend the evilness of Nosferatu. While the story is being told frames are stuck in between to make us realize his demonic qualities. The frames include the footage of the beasts running, the Venus fly trap (vampire of the vegetable kingdom), and various frames of sentences such as; “Man does not know the dangers that beasts can sense at times.”

In Nosferatu references are given to us of as to how Germans felt about World War I. The scene where the rats are bringing the black plague to the ship and Bremen is an example. Death is everywhere. People close the shutters to keep it out, but it seeps through. This is a fatalistic view. Also the Aristocratic class became outcasts like Nosferatu. They were no longer accommodated, because all Germans were trying to piece their lives back together. They could no longer be tolerated either, because of their persistent desire to be recognized as the elite. They were forced to be grounded.

Nosferatu will remain a classic. It represents a time of despair. We can only imagine the devotion involved in making the film. The artistic talent and imagination has now been replaced by technology and commercialism. It leaves one to question if these are advancements.