Zach Vasquez
For an act of outright plagiarism, it’s amazing what a legacy Nosferatu has had. When Bram Stoker’s widow refused to sell the rights to his 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula to German producer Albin Grua, he and director F. W. Murnau decided to simply adapt it anyway, changing the names, settings, and certain details, even as they stuck to the general story.
The Stoker estate was none too happy, obviously. They successfully sued the production, resulting in the destruction of most prints of Nosferatu, although luckily enough survived that it would go on to be regarded as one of the most enduring films from the silent era (I’d go so far as to guess that amongst modern audiences largely allergic to silent films, it’s probably the most seen).
In the 100+ years since, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror has proven almost as iconic as Stoker’s novel and Hollywood’s eventual official adaptation of Dracula (1931), with actor Max Schreck’s verminous interpretation of the titular unholy one—here renamed Count Orlock—right there with Bela Lugosi’s suave bloodsucker in terms of recognizability and influence.
Robert Eggers’ new, hotly anticipated update is but the latest remake of Murnau’s film. Previous ones have ranged in quality and memorability (Werner Herzog’s 1979 version is a masterpiece), but amongst them, one film stands out for originality: 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire.
A fictionalized behind-the-scenes story, Shadow posits that Schrek (Willem Dafoe) was not in fact an actor, but a real vampire who struck a devil’s bargain with the obsessive Murnau (John Malkovich)—who considers himself a “scientist engaged in the creation of memory”—to appear in his new film in order to make it as realistic as possible, in exchange for the body and soul of its leading lady Greta Schröder (Catherine McCormack). Things go awry when the insatiable Schrek starts feeding on other members of the cast and crew.
Shadow is an odd movie—a horror-comedy that is intentionally light on both elements. Dafoe gives a dynamite performance: grotesque, pitiful, hilarious, and frightening. A scene where he catches a bat midair and munches down on it, to the shock/fascination of Grau (Udo Kier) and screenwriter Henrik Galeen (Aden Gillet) is some of Dafoe’s finest work. He is so convincing as Schrek as Orlock that the scenes from the movie within the movie are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Dafoe would deservedly go on to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor in that year’s Academy Awards (Shadow would also rack up a nom for Makeup and Hairstyling).
(Initially, Schrek/Orlock was going to be played by producer Nicolas Cage, but he stepped aside when Dafoe expressed interest.)
The rest of the film, while handsomely made and thoroughly entertaining, never fully leans into either laughs or frights. It feels like an intentionally low-key movie about movies, even with an undead monster at its center. Director E. Elias Merhige (best known for his gnarly experimental feature of 11 years earlier, Begotten) seems most interested in recreating silent era filmmaking techniques. To anyone who’s seen Begotten, this makes sense, given that that film—which opens with God disemboweling himself—is dialog-free and styled to resemble a lost film from the ‘20s.
It’s interesting what Merhige chooses to leave out of Shadow. There is no mention of Grau’s wartime encounter with a farmer who claimed his own father was an undead spirit, the experience that directly led to him wanting to make a vampire movie. Nor does he lean into the connections between Nosferatu and the forthcoming horrors of World War II, despite having a dictatorial director at the center of a film that has often been accused of containing anti-semitc themes. Not that Merhige was required to include either, but it does leave the film feeling a little empty. The rushed third act, which definitely feels chopped up, doesn’t help matters.
The end result is a good movie that falls just short of greatness, which explains why, despite receiving a fair share of praise and awards attention during its initial release, it feels mostly forgotten today. (Merhige returning to theater, save for a couple of short films set in the world of Begotten, in the wake of his critical and commercial bomb from 2004, Suspect X, is also likely responsible for the lack of awareness). That’s too bad, because even though it’s a flawed film, it is still fascinating, especially for the way it defies all genre expectations. With Eggers’ new Nosferatu coming out to huge hype—and featuring Dafoe in a major role—hopefully more eyes will fall on Shadow of the Vampire. That would be fitting for a movie about coming back from the dead.
“Shadow of the Vampire” is available for rental or purchase via Amazon Prime Video.
