Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

The filming of Nosferatu is hampered by the fact that the star is taking his role far more seriously than what seems humanly possible.

Director:

E. Elias Merhige

Writer:

Steven Katz

Stars:

John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Udo Kier

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Malkovich	...	Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Willem Dafoe	...	Max Schreck
Udo Kier	...	Albin Grau
Cary Elwes	...	Fritz Arno Wagner
Catherine McCormack	...	Greta Schröder
Eddie Izzard	...	Gustav von Wangenhein
Aden Gillett	...	Henrik Galeen
Nicholas Elliott	...	Paul (as Nicholas Elliot)
Ronan Vibert	...	Wolfgang Müller
Sophie Langevin	...	Elke
Myriam Muller	...	Maria
Milos Hlavac	...	Innkeeper (as Milos Hlavak)
Marja-Leena Junker	...	Innkeeper's Wife
Derek Kueter	...	Reporter 1
Norman Golightly	...	Reporter 2

Storyline

Shadow of the Vampire is a film about the making of a German all time classic silent horror-movie from 1922 called Nosferatu-Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu-a Symphony of Horror). The production of Nosferatu had to deal with a lot of strange things (some crew members disappeared, some died). This movie focuses on the difficult relationship between Murnau, the director, and Schreck, the lead actor.

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Plot Keywords:

nosferatu | vampire | actor | blood | film within a film | 

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Taglines:

An Unspeakable Horror. A Creative Genius. Captured For Eternity.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality, drug content, violence and language

Details

Country:

UK USA Luxembourg

Language:

English German Luxembourgish

Release Date:

26 January 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Burned to Light

Filming Locations:

Delux Productions, Contern, Luxembourg

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£42,539 (UK) (2 February 2001)

Gross:

$8,279,017 (USA) (30 March 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Saturn Films, Long Shot Pictures, BBC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cary Elwes has now starred in two film interpretations concerning Dracula, the other being Dracula

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Goofs

When the crew are filming the first scene featuring Gustav and Schreck together, just after Murnau says, "No make-up!" Schreck jumps from the the head of the table to the large-backed chair between shots.

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Quotes

F.W. Murnau: Time will no longer be a dark spot on our lungs. They will no longer say 'you had to have been there', because the fact is, Albin, we were.

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Crazy Credits

Credits end with the sounds of the camera filming and of the phonograph which set the mood for the actors.

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Connections

Features Nosferatu (1922)

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Soundtracks

"The Flying Dutchman Overture"
Written by Richard Wagner
Courtesy of KPM Music Limited

User Reviews

I Smell the Blood of a Wunderkind

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that completely and maybe consciously defies categorization, and "Shadow of the Vampire" is a great example. It is at once a black comedy, a horror movie with a unique setting, and a biting sendup of the art and business of moviemaking. And the fact is that it wears each of these hats quite well, although not necessarily at the same time.

The movie asks us to imagine: What if Max Schreck, the mysterious guy who gave what is still considered one of the best vampire performances ever, did so well because, well, he really was a vampire? The skulking creature, we are to imagine, was finagled into performing in "Nosferatu" for legendary cinema pioneer F.W. Murnau. The story then follows as the crew makes the movie dealing with all sorts of difficulties, not the least of which is the star's habit of snacking on cameramen.

Among the film's many virtues is its portrayal of filmmaking in what was really its dawn as a form of art and commerce. People like me, who have trouble with silent movies may gain an additional appreciation for the work and craft that went in to them, and realize that while they may seem hokey and stylized to us now, they had a beauty and substance that was all their own, and still is.

John Malkovich turns in a great performance as the visionary Murnau (who, while tortured, must be a genius because he always gets it in one take). It is a characteristic Malkovich role, a rationalist given to bouts of fury, and it is as much fun to see him discourse pretentiously on the science and art of the moving image as it is to see him pitch a fit ("Albon, a NATIVE has wandered into my FRAME!").

The core of this movie, however, and deservedly so, is Willem Dafoe's unforgettable portrayal of Schreck. This is not your slick-talking Anne-Rice undead-Vogue kinda vampire. Schreck is the next thing up from a rat, squatting in filth and clicking his claws, and Dafoe is able to inspire laughter as well as fear, and even pathos. He makes us imagine what a rotten existence it must be, to have eternal life alone in a rotting ruin and a withered body. He and Malkovich have some great scenes together, including a sick, hilarious moment when Schreck and Murnau try to hammer out who on the crew may or may not be snacked upon (the cinematographer is necessary, it seems, but the script girl is negotiable).

The movie functions best as a sendup of moviemaking, as the harried Murnau must deal with temperamental actors, unfriendly locals, blood-sucking undead, and other hazards of the movie trade. At one point, Murnau must leave to calm the investors, a scene I really wish had been included. Some of the best moments are those of the age-old creature of the night attempting to take direction and find his "motivation." Everyone is afraid of Schreck, but admire the dedication that keeps him in character all the time (he's a Method actor, explains Murnau, he studied with Stanislavsky). The movie makes its point rather neatly, that filmmakers, and by extension filmmaking itself, have a way of sucking the life and blood out of you. Anyone who has ever had to shoot a movie on location will attest to this.

If I have a complaint about the movie, it is only that after its extreme cleverness, it settles for a somewhat straightforward horror-style denouement. Myself, I would have thought the vampire would end up moving to Berlin and getting an agent, a swimming pool, and a meeting with Ovitz. Still, the movie clearly makes its point: an auteur driven by a mania for artistic perfection can be more of a monster than something that just lives in a cave and drinks blood from your neck.