Known from behind his lens as a filmmaker is working on a gothic horror feature and retelling a classic vamp tale with Nosferatu, directed from the 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. This reimagined work draws from the vast folklore and Bram Stoker's 1897 book Dracula, albeit the film focuses on her journey, Lily-Rose Depp.
The film transports us to an imaginary Baltic city in the 1830s, introducing us to young bride Ellen Hutter (Depp), who is haunted since childhood by ominous visions that keep popping up. With her husband, Thomas Hutter, set to take off for Transylvania on a business trip, this trip turns out to be the potential step toward a promising future. However, a seemingly innocuous meeting with the elusive Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) sets off a terrifying series of events that threatens to unravel their world.
At the film's London premiere, Depp shared her feelings about her character and how deep the role was for her. "There was just so much for me to dive into," she said. "To me it was about really depicting the emotional battle that she's going through, the internal battle that's going on within her, and to give a voice to this woman that at the time kind of wouldn't have had one. That was very special."
The reflection of Depp about her role speaks to the very heart of Nosferatu, which redefines the female character often reduced to a mere plot device in the original. Here, instead of being a passive figure in a male-dominated narrative, Ellen's personal struggles and agency are brought to the forefront, making her a central force in the unfolding horror.
Eggers, known for his work on The Lighthouse and The Northman, has long been enthralled by the tale of Nosferatu. In fact, he was inspired to direct this film after seeing the original version at the age of nine. "I just wanted to make a great sweeping gothic romance that was also legitimately a scary horror movie," Eggers explained. Not like any of the modern movie reinterpretations, but more ancient folk lore, from time long ago, which actually once people thought was true,
But for Bill Skarsgård, acting the role of Count Orlok required transformation for hours, the one who gave up scary looks for Pennywise Clown in It of 2017, now it requires a big, major physical and vocal change for Skarsgård for Nosferatu. "The face and the hands, which I wore when I had clothes on in the movie, was three hours. And the full body ones for where I'm not wearing clothes in the movie was six hours," said the Swedish actor. His dedication to the role helps bring a terrifying authenticity to the character of Count Orlok, a creature who remains one of cinema's most iconic vampires.
Alongside Depp and Skarsgård, Nosferatu features an excellent support cast, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin playing family friends that take in Ellen when her husband's away. Willem Dafoe also has a show-stopping part as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz. The excellent ensemble cast really brings life to the movie that really explores not just horror, but complex themes on love, in different guises.
Corrin, who plays a central role in Ellen's journey, reflected on the film's emotional layers. "I think at its heart it stays true to the very original deep roots of the Nosferatu folklore. I think people who have a strong awareness of that history will really appreciate that," she said. "I think it really embraces the love story in so many iterations. It is about sisterly love. It is about forbidden love and shame. It is about marital love. It is about loving yourself despite your dark sides."
These themes echo throughout the story because Nosferatu delves into more than the supernatural horror of a vampire stalking its prey; it speaks of emotional complexities in familial and romantic relationships and the ways in which love may manifest in even the darkest circumstances. This film breaks from the norm of the genre, injecting a human touch to the vampire mythos that has gone beyond the fear and dread.
In so many ways, Eggers's Nosferatu is a thoughtful reconstruction of gothic atmosphere that doesn't forget its horribleness. The intention for a movie to be enjoyed, therefore, by both traditional followers of the 1922 film and newcomers in this tale is a strong element that focuses on character and their emotional and psychological torture. It is eerie with its atmosphere, but quite so upsetting in its exploration into some aspect of human connection.
For those familiar with the legend of Nosferatu, Eggers' film brings forth a world both all too familiar and, yet newly unsettling. It sweeps up the audience not only into a tale of terror but also makes it witness the haunting effects of fear, desire, and love. Experience, here, is just as much psychological as visual, one which promises to leave a deep impression.
Nosferatu will begin its international theatrical run on December 25, 2024, ushering in a new chapter in the classic story of vampires and dark forces that haunt the human soul.
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