11 freaky facts about the original Nosferatu (1922)

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In the year 2024, let's take a closer look at some of the intriguing aspects of the original film.

With a haunting visual style, an innovative approach to storytelling, and a nightmarish atmosphere that continues to exert a lasting influence on horror films to this day.

Lingers as a haunting portrayal of anxiety, illness, and the unsettling, with Max Schreck's unforgettable portrayal of Count Orlok transforming the vampire into a representation of both fear and sorrow.

Take a sip of hot chocolate, and read these 11 facts about the movie.

Origins and legal troubles

By Stoker's widow, Florence Balcombe Stoker.

2. After the court ruling ordered all copies destroyed, it was the international distribution of the film that saved it. Copies shipped overseas escaped the destruction, and collectors later preserved these prints. Some versions we see today are reconstructed from different international prints that were salvaged.

Artistic and cultural significance

The sunlight only weakens the vampire; Murnau added this dramatic demise to heighten the stakes and give Orlok a visually striking end.

4. The film is a defining characteristic of German Expressionism, marked by its use of overstated shadows, twisted spatial arrangements, and unsettling visuals. These techniques generate a dreamlike, nightmarish ambiance that has heavily impacted horror films for many years.

Emphasizing its artistic ambitions, Murnau aimed to combine horror elements with a poetic, almost opera-like aesthetic.

Note: Assuming the original text is in German, which contains the names "Max Schreck and Count Orlok", and the name "Orlok" is referencing the character Nikolaus "Count Orlok" Kolb.

Natascha Lyonne plays Prof. Albin Eberhart Von Franz, and Bill Skarsgård plays Count Orlok.

The movie would expand on the rat/plague theme even more, despite the fact that the film "Count Dracula," which stars Klaus Kinski as the vampire, explores the same idea.

Themes, symbolism, and controversy

The depiction of the plague imagery is significant. The film repeatedly links Orlok with rats and disease, making him a symbol associated with death. When Orlok arrives on a ghost ship accompanied by rats, it leads to an epidemic in Wisborg, echoing the public's anxiety about illnesses being spread through foreign influences.

This does not imply any connection to the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, nor does it infer that Murau himself was an anti-Semite.

9. Ellen is more than just a victim, she's a heroic figure too. She makes the ultimate sacrifice by distracting Orlok until morning, causing his downfall. Her bravery brings an added layer of independence to her character, which isn't always a part of stories from that time.

Production and legacy facts

The movie was filmed in different parts of Germany and Slovakia, with the scenes at Orlok's castle shot at Orava Castle in Slovakia. These real locations contribute to the film's eerie and realistic atmosphere.

This is echoed by numerous horror films, including many adaptations and homages to (1979), even to this day.