It is very hard to imagine a remake actually improving upon the original film, impossible even. But Werner Herzog's remake of the silent classic "Nosferatu" is the exception to this rule. The film is everything you could dream of. Scary, surreal, touching, atmospheric and breathtaking with all these elements in almost perfect harmony.
Lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to the castle of Count Dracula in the Carpathian Mountains, despite the warnings of his beloved wife Mina. Despite the warnings of the locals living in the shadow of the castle, he continues on his journey. When he arrives at the castle he disturbed and terrorised by the grotesque, rat-like Count Dracula. Having driven Harker insane the Count falls in love with his wife Mina and travels across the sea to claim her bringing hordes of rats, plague and pestilence with him. Distraught at the condition of her beloved husband, Mina deceides to put pay to the Counts evil once and for all.
This film drastically re-invents the whole Dracula story, which has been choked by countless campy Hammer Horror films restoring fear and loathing to the character. This is boosted by the amazing performance of Klaus Kinski as the count infusing the character with a great sense of pity as well as revulsion. Kinski will always be to my mind the greatest of all screen Dracula's and this will always be to my mind one of the most accomplished vampire films ever.
If there is one fault of the film it is that Herzog tends to make the film a bit too visual for its own good, undermining the brilliance of the performances.
Overall though this is a terrific film.
My Rating: 8 Out Of 10
Lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to the castle of Count Dracula in the Carpathian Mountains, despite the warnings of his beloved wife Mina. Despite the warnings of the locals living in the shadow of the castle, he continues on his journey. When he arrives at the castle he disturbed and terrorised by the grotesque, rat-like Count Dracula. Having driven Harker insane the Count falls in love with his wife Mina and travels across the sea to claim her bringing hordes of rats, plague and pestilence with him. Distraught at the condition of her beloved husband, Mina deceides to put pay to the Counts evil once and for all.
This film drastically re-invents the whole Dracula story, which has been choked by countless campy Hammer Horror films restoring fear and loathing to the character. This is boosted by the amazing performance of Klaus Kinski as the count infusing the character with a great sense of pity as well as revulsion. Kinski will always be to my mind the greatest of all screen Dracula's and this will always be to my mind one of the most accomplished vampire films ever.
If there is one fault of the film it is that Herzog tends to make the film a bit too visual for its own good, undermining the brilliance of the performances.
Overall though this is a terrific film.
My Rating: 8 Out Of 10
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