X
- 2000
- R
- Universal Studios Home Video
- 1 h 32 m
- 2000
- R
- Universal Studios Home Video
- 1 h 32 m
Summary A witty, atmospheric, and deliciously feverish tale inspired by the great German film director F. W. Murnau and the making of his unforgettable "Nosferatu." (Lions Gate Films)
Directed By: E. Elias Merhige
Written By: Steven Katz
- 2000
- R
- Universal Studios Home Video
- 1 h 32 m
- 2000
- R
- Universal Studios Home Video
- 1 h 32 m
Shadow of the Vampire
71
7.6
Summary A witty, atmospheric, and deliciously feverish tale inspired by the great German film director F. W. Murnau and the making of his unforgettable "Nosferatu." (Lions Gate Films)
Directed By: E. Elias Merhige
Written By: Steven Katz
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
71
81% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
16% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
71
81% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
16% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
It's a mesmerizing spectacle.
Might be the most original film of the year.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 85 User Ratings
7.6
74% Positive
63 Ratings
63 Ratings
13% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
13% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 85 User Ratings
7.6
74% Positive
63 Ratings
63 Ratings
13% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
13% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
This film is about another film, portraying, very fictionally, the filming of the iconic silent film "Nosferatu" (1922). The logic of the film rests on an urban myth, whereby Friedrich Murnau (the film's director) hired a true vampire to the main role. The problem with this movie is that, unless you're a total movie buff, you'll hardly know "Nosferatu" well enough to know the existence of this urban myth, and this will make this movie a bit illogical and meaningless. The secret to understanding the film also goes through one or two questions that are implicitly posed. The first is easy: how far should we go in the name of art? Is the perfection of the finished work worth any sacrifice? The second question is who is the worst monster? Orlock, driven by his lust for blood, or Murnau, driven by his artistic blindness? I really enjoyed the performance of Willem Defoe, who gave life to the vampire-actor. He not only was able to recreate the gestures and affected manners of the character we see in the silent movie, as he made him mysterious and a little fatalistic in the way he thinks and behaves. John Malkovich also shone in the role of an obese filmmaker, and has a few phrases in the dialogue that are true homages to the cinematographic art. The cinematography and visual beauty of the opening credits, in shades of black and sepia, are other positive aspects of a film unable to please the general public but perfectly able to please the most skilled and knowledgeable audiences.
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His (Dafoe's) re-creation of Schreck is an Oscar-level performance, but more than that, it's an unforgettable one: great, scary, horrifically funny.
Works on several playful levels. Most obviously, it is a horror movie in which life imitates art on a movie set.
Willem Dafoe's performance in Shadow of the Vampire is so irresistible it not only breaks that cycle but turns an otherwise just adequate film into something everyone will want to take a look at.
In the end, the performances and the basic strength of the premise make Shadow of the Vampire a relatively diverting ninety minutes. But there is the inescapable feeling that it is a shadow of the great film it might have been.
An academic exercise driven by adolescent ideas that never shape themselves into a narrative: in short, a movie that can never dislodge the art fatally wedged up its butt.
Man tries to make Dracula film without Bram Stoker's consent, goes to eerie locations, gets oddball to play the vampire, things go wrong.
With a cast as decent as this & the story based on such a classic film, it's a shame this was nowhere near as good as it could have been.
It begins very well but quickly starts to jump about & become disjointed & does seemed very rushed by the end.
Willem Dafoe is amazing as Max Schrek but they should have used him more sparingly & made him even more mysterious.
Report
Production Company
CEA Studios,
Saturn Films,
Long Shot Pictures,
BBC Film,
Delux Productions,
Luxembourg Film Fund,
Pilgrim Films Ltd.
Release Date Dec 29, 2000
Duration 1 h 32 m
Rating R
Tagline An Unspeakable Horror. A Creative Genius. Captured For Eternity.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 2 Wins & 5 Nominations
