Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

Werner Herzog considers F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror to be the greatest German film ever made.  It's not a surprise that he set before himself the task of remaking the classic silent adaptation of Dracula in his own manner.  To make things even more difficult he cast his favorite fiend, Klaus Kinski, in the lead role that Max Schreck had played in the original.  The result is an interesting take on both the original film and the novel with an altered ending that has caused a bit of controversy.

Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz) is tasked by Renfield (Roland Topor) to travel to Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula, who is interested in purchasing a house near Harker's in the town of Wismar.  Harker's wife Lucy (Isabelle Adjani) has had frightening dreams and begs Harker not to go, but he does as he is bid and, despite the warnings of the local Gypsies, makes his way to Dracula's castle. 

Once there he finds himself prisoner in the castle and ill from having been fed upon.  He realizes that Dracula means to have Lucy as well as bring the black plague to Wismar.  Harker escapes and, still ill, makes his way home to his now empty hometown where almost everyone has succumbed to the plague, brought by an army of rats under Dracula's control.  Lucy, one of the few to stand against Dracula, eventually decides to make the ultimate sacrifice in hopes to save her husband and what remains of her town.

I remember seeing this long ago but didn't recall much of it.  I always thought it quite removed from Murnau's version.  It isn't, other than making it clear that it is an adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, as the original story had fallen into public domain shortly before Herzog made his film.  His version has the usual beautiful cinematography one expects from a Herzog film, as well as the artistic touches, but at heart it is still Dracula, through Murnau's slight alteration, almost word for word. 

Bruno Ganz is okay as Harker, but he is not the main focus.  Isabelle Adjani starts off as a weak woman persecuted by nightmares, but she assumes the role that is typically given to actors playing Harker toward the end.  Van Helsing, played by Walter Ladengast, is barely a minor character, with Lucy also assuming his role as well.  It is interesting to see her strong performance emerging as the finale approaches.

As much as I hate to say it, I understand why Herzog continued to use Klaus Kinski despite the fact he was an awful human being in every way imaginable.  When properly manipulated, or at least allowed to exhaust himself, he could give a brilliant performance as he does here as Count Dracula.  His version of the Count is weighed down by the centuries he has existed and seems more than a little of an influence to Willem Dafoe's portrayal of Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire.  This is one of his best and most restrained performances.  

The problem with Nosferatu the Vampyre is that Werner Herzog decided to be clever with the ending.  It should have ended the same way Murnau's film did, but Herzog always has to include some lesson about the futility of our actions.  Not to give it away but, while the ending may fit Herzog's world view, it doesn't fit the story.  Rather than a clever statement it feels like it was tacked on.  

Still, the large part of the movie features wonderful visuals put to both classical music and that of Popol Vuh, creating a dreamlike atmosphere throughout, particularly on the approach to the castle and during the plague scenes in Wismar.  A number of scenes are lifted directly from Nosferatu, but this is still Herzog's version, not a direct copy of the original.  It never excels over Murnau's film but exists as an interesting companion piece to it.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1972)

Time: 107 minutes

Starring: Bruno Ganz, Isabelle Adjani, Klaus Kinski, Roland Topor

Director: Werner Herzog