Product Description

A cornerstone of the horror film, F.W. Murnau s NOSFERATU is triumphantly reborn in this breathtaking new restoration by the F.W. Murnau Foundation. Backed by an orchestral performance of Hans Erdmann s 1922 score (recorded in 5.1 stereo surround), Kino International edition presents Murnau s masterpiece in this all-new restored HD transfer with unprecedented clarity and faithfulness to the original release version. This double-disc collection presents the film with the original German intertitles as well as with newly-translated English intertitles. Accompanying the film is a 52-minute documentary by Luciano Berriatúa which provides a detailed account of the production and explores the filmmakers involvement in the occult. Also includes 'Nosferatu: Historic Film Meets Digital Restoration' - a 3-minute documentary - Lengthy excerpts from other films by F.W. Murnau: Journey Into the Night (1920), The Haunted Castle (1921), Phantom (1922), The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924), The Last Laugh (1924), Tartuffe (1925), Faust (1926), and Tabu (1931) - Photo Gallery - Scene Comparison

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14317 in DVD
• Brand: Kino Video
• Released on: 2007-11-20
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Restored, Silent, Special Edition, Surround Sound
• Original language: English, German
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
As noted critic Pauline Kael observed, "... this first important film of the vampire genre has more spectral atmosphere, more ingenuity, and more imaginative ghoulish ghastliness than any of its successors." Some really good vampire movies have been made since Kael wrote those words, but German director F.W. Murnau's 1922 version remains a definitive adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Created when German silent films were at the forefront of visual technique and experimentation, Murnau's classic is remarkable for its creation of mood and setting, and for the unforgettably creepy performance of Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a.k.a. the blood-sucking predator Nosferatu. With his rodent-like features and long, bony-fingered hands, Schreck's vampire is an icon of screen horror, bringing pestilence and death to the town of Bremen in 1838. (These changes of story detail were made necessary when Murnau could not secure a copyright agreement with Stoker's estate.) Using negative film, double-exposures, and a variety of other in-camera special effects, Murnau created a vampire classic that still holds a powerful influence on the horror genre. (Werner Herzog's 1978 film Nosferatu the Vampyre is both a remake and a tribute, and Francis Coppola adopted many of Murnau's visual techniques for Bram Stoker's Dracula.) Seen today, Murnau's film is more of a fascinating curiosity, but its frightening images remain effectively eerie. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

FIGURING OUT WHICH NOSFERATU TO BUY
This is a classic of horror cinema and arguably the first real horror movie. Still carries a genuine fright over 80 years later.
Now my real issue - Amazon lists a whole bunch of different versions of "Nosferatu". The only problem is, the reviews for the good editions end up on the pages of the cheap ones. There are only 2 good versions of Nosferatu to choose from - The version from Image (black/red cover), which is the only one with the great commentary by Lokke Heiss, and the newer Kino 2 disc edition. These are well-presentede editions. All the other versions are cheap, public domain, fly-by-night crap! Hopefully this review gets spread around like all the other ones. Amazon needs to have item-specific review pages.
And if you haven't seen either of them yet, check out "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and Carl Dreyer's "Vampyr" from the same period.
Thank you to everyone for clicking for this review. It's the most helpful one I've ever written. That was my sole aim.

Great DVD and Excellent audio Commentary!
We are lucky to see "Nosferatu"; All copies were to be destroyed in 1923. "Nosferatu" was the product of plagerism, and an unlawful and (at the time) uncredited movie version of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Stoker's widow sued the movie producers, they went out of business and the court ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed. Fortunately for us, copies were moused away and it is from these reels that we can see, what is considered the first horror film.

Nosferatu's horrific reputation is unchanged today; The sight of the vampire (Max Schreck) is every bit as grotesque now as it's ever been. The story is familiar Dracula, however the genesis of German film expressionism is clearly engrained; Nosferatu was one of a handful of films that changed the industry and made people think in ways that were never explored before.

The music score of this DVD is wonderful pipe-organ music composed from many early-19th century compositions. It's crafting completely compliments the story and adds not only tonal accuracy, but also a believable thread that brings us closer to the time of the film's creation.

But the unexpected hit of this DVD is the audio commentary track from Lokke Heiss, and expert on German films. Heiss's commentary is absolutely compelling and points out many similarities that the average viewer wouldn't easily pick out. In fact, I would recommend watching the movie with the organ score, and immediately watching it with the commentary so "see" all the parts you may have initially missed.

The DVD transfer is about as good as you can get, understanding that it all came from smuggled copies. The film is also 're-tinted', a film technique that provides different exposure colors to express changes is daytime or location.

I highly recommend this DVD to all silent fans, and anyone who wants to see a peice of history, as well as get an excellent historical and documentary analysis.

Everlasting Life and Greta Schroeder
I bought "Nosferatu" on Halloween night, to screen a double-feature with "Shadow of the Vampire". This turned out to be a terrific idea and caused me to wish, for the first time since childhood and my array of Star Wars costumes, that Halloween came eleven or twelve times a year.

"Nosferatu" may be 80 years old, but its influence is, amusingly enough, going to be eternal. The "Symphony of Horror" special edition DVD is absolutely a must-have, with three audio tracks that basically create three different versions of the film, and with three excellent mini-features.

The basic audio track is an organ score derived from early-19th-century Romantic composers. Married to the film's flickering tinted images, this makes ideal Halloween (or, indeed, any post-midnight) viewing. The second audio score is more experimental, more modern, and much, much more fun. Whereas the organ track basically lies underneath the movie and provides a traditional (if static) experience, the "Silent Orchestra" compositions give the undead film a new life. This rock-jazz-classical track positively breathes in the way that Dracula never could.

The final audio track is the commentary by German film expert Lokke Heiss. Don't be fooled by the man's voice and delivery, which is about as dynamic as balsa wood and interesting as an American cheese sandwich on white bread. He cites both scholarly film treatises and Stephen King as he discusses Murnau's influences, the film's light-dark composition, and the use of mirrors and windows within the movie. This is a terrific commentary track in that it increased my understanding of the move ten-fold. Pity they couldn't have had someone with an actual voice (like Christopher Lee) read Mr. Heiss's words.

The featurettes range from cute to weird. Weirdest is the "Nosfera-Tour", ten minutes worth of home movies narrated once more by Heiss (oy vey) as he presents pictures of what the film's "Wisborg" looks like in the year 2000. The "Phantom Carriage Ride" is very eerie, spotlighting as it does one of the truly *bizarre* moments in the film. Finally, the art/photo gallery is splendid, one of the best galleries I've seen on a DVD. The real treasure comes at the beginnng -- the charcoal drawings that were producer Albin Grau's original renderings of Nosferatu.

The DVD packaging -- cardboard case with plastic snap -- may be cheap, but it contains within one of filmdom's finest moments, and provides far more than just 81 minutes of enjoyment. Highly, highly recommended.