10/21/17 – day twenty-one of thirty-one days of horror!
Every year demands its Dracula, and this year we head to the
arthouse with Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre. A reasonably faithful
adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel – and by proxy a remake of the 1922 silent
classic Nosferatu – Herzog imbues the story with his unique concerns and
preoccupations, the most obvious being his obsession with both the beauty and
cruelty of nature. He also brings along his best fiend and infant terrible Klaus Kinski to take on the Dracula role, and
Kinski does not disappoint. Using the bald, rodent-like “Count Orlock” (here
reinstated as Count Dracula) look from the 20s film as a jumping off point,
Kinski, terrifying in the make-up and icky long fingernails, also gives the
character a sense of haunted loneliness and a stillness that matches the film’s
languid pace. Also great is Isabelle Adjani as Lucy, the object of Dracula’s
obsession, her pallid beauty evoking silent era screen sirens, effortlessly
conveying wide-eyed terror. Herzog proves himself a master of mood, melding images
of beauty and death – as well as an alternately chilling and joyous Popol Vuh
score – into a haunting, impressionistic tone poem. Class up your Halloween
with this impeccably crafted Kinski creepfest.
