Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) (1979)
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) (1979)
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AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make this remake of Nosferatu a horror classic in its own right.
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Count Dracula
as Lucy Harker
as Jonathan Harker
as Renfield
as Dr. Van Helsing
as Warden
as Harbormaster
as Schrader
as Mina
as Town Official
as Town Employee
as Councilman
as Coffinbearer
as Captain
as Nun
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Critic Reviews for Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre)
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (3) | DVD (8)
To say of someone that they were born to play a vampire is a strange compliment, but if you will compare the two versions of Nosferatu you might agree with me that only Kinski could have equaled or rivaled Max Schreck's performance.
This is a pinnacle of horror cinema: atmospheric, rhapsodic and -- especially in the slow-burn confrontations between Lucy and her otherworldly inamorato -- achingly transcendent.
Between the hordes of stowaway rats that accompany Dracula's arrival, and a town-plaza dance of folly by doomed survivors (a Herzog addition), it's like being present at the birth of a medieval legend.
The acting is too eccentric and the narrative drive too weak to satisfy fans of the genre, but Herzog's admirers will find much in the film's animistic landscapes and clusters of visionary imagery.
There's a grey, plodding quality to the film which sidesteps oppressive, doom-laden inevitability and goes straight to slightly dull.
It's funny without being silly, eerie without being foolish and uncommonly beautiful in a way that has nothing to do with mere prettiness.
Audience Reviews for Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre)
Count Dracula: Death is not the worst. There are things more horrible than death. Nosferatu The Vampyre is my favorite of the Dracula adaptations I've seen thus far in my life. I've only seen a few of Herzog's non-documentary films and this is my favorite of the three. The other two being Bad Lieutenant and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?. This has that distinct Herzog feel to it and I don't believe there was a better director to remake F.W. Murnau's silent classic, and there also wasn't anyone who could have portrayed Count Dracula as perfectly and terrifyingly as Klaus Kinski. This is one of the few horror films I've seen that I would describe as beautiful and it's no wonder coming from Herzog. The imagery and settings are absolutely gorgeous and atmospheric. Werner Herzog's Nosferatu should not be missed by any film or horror buff. This is an absolute classic and up there for one of the best vampire movies ever. I loved every second of it.
Super Reviewer
four stars...
Super Reviewer
This film holds a special place in my heart because it was my first exposure to Werner Herzog and his films. I loved it when I first saw it, and that was just on a general level. Now that I am actually a fan of Herzog, and know things about him I can appreciate this even more. But, looking at it from just my original perspective, this is a very impressive, spellbinding, and masterful horror film. It's a remake of the Murnau classic, and it takes even more liberties with the original source material than Murnau did, but this is nevertheless a wonderful vampire movie. It's hands down one of the top 5 creepiest and unnerving films I've ever seen. The atmosphere, mood, and tone are hauntingly unnerving, and I've never been so filled with dread during an opening credits sequence like I am with this one. Kinski as Dracula is one of the scariest things ever. He's ugly, creepy, and, despite being more restrained than usual, is quite memorable as a chilling bloodsucker. Isabelle Adjani is the epitome of seductive, pale, gothic beauties, and she
Super Reviewer
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) Quotes
| Jonathan Harker: | "Ready my horse, I have much to do." |
| Jonathan Harker: | Ready my horse, I have much to do. |
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