Shadow of the Vampire

2000
R
1h 32m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

45K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:34

Showbiz Drama Vampire Horror Drama Horror

The filming of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.The filming of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.The filming of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

45K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,926

747

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 16 wins & 30 nominations total

Henrik Galeen
(as John Aden Gillet)

Nicholas Elliott

Paul - Camera Assistant
(as Nicholas Elliot)

Ronan Vibert

Wolfgang Muller

Sophie Langevin

Elke - Makeup Assistant

Myriam Muller

Maria - Script Assistant

Milos Hlavac

Innkeeper
(as Milos Hlavak)

Marja-Leena Junker

Innkeeper's Wife

Derek Kueter

Reporter 1

Norman Golightly

Reporter 2

Patrick Hastert

Reporter 3

Sascha Ley

Drunken Woman
(as Sacha Ley)

Marie-Paule von Roesgen

Old Woman
(as Marie Paule Van Roesgen)

Director
- E. Elias Merhige
Writer
- Steven Katz
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Based in part upon a legend that Max Schreck was in reality a vampire which is why he played the role of Orlok/Dracula so well. Some variations of the legend suggest that Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) was the only film Schreck made, though in reality he was already a stage and screen veteran by the time Nosferatu was shot, and would appear in many non-vampiric roles before his death in 1936.

Goofs
It was utterly impossible to film at night in 1922, so all night-time scenes were actually filmed in broad daylight. Originally, these scenes were tinted blue in order to differentiate them from those that were supposed to take place by day.

Quotes
[Asked what he thought of the book, Dracula]
Max Schreck: It made me sad.
Albin: Why sad?
Max Schreck: Because Dracula had no servants.
Albin: I think you missed the point of the book, Count Orlock.
Max Schreck: Dracula hasn't had servants in 400 years and then a man comes to his ancestral home, and he must convince him that he... that he is like the man. He has to feed him, when he himself hasn't eaten food in centuries. Can he even remember how to buy bread? How to select cheese and wine? And then he remembers the rest of it. How to prepare a meal, how to make a bed. He remembers his first glory, his armies, his retainers, and what he is reduced to. The loneliest part of the book comes... when the man accidentally sees Dracula setting his table.

Crazy credits
Credits end with the sounds of the camera filming and of the phonograph which set the mood for the actors.

Connections
Edited from Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)

Soundtracks
The Flying Dutchman Overture
Written by Richard Wagner
Courtesy of KPM Music Limited

User reviews352

Review

Featured review

8/10

Absolutely stunning and fascinating !

This movie is a true relief for everyone who thought the genre of horror and mystery was dead and buried. It feels good to see that it's still possible to create movies like this. Even though the plot is rather simple, the movie seems to be very original and innovating. The basic idea behind this movie is so simple that it is - in fact - brilliant and it makes me wonder why nobody has thought about this earlier. The movie is completely based on the very early horror milestone "Nosferatu, ein symphony des grauens". Legendary actor Max Schrek is portrayed here like a REAL vampire who regularly takes a bite out of his crew. Director F.W. Murnau knows about this but finishing his movie is a higher priority to him than to sacrifice a few people.

This theme makes it of course a must for the ancient horror fans. Lots of footage and trivia of the 1922 masterpiece are shown and that's a real extra value for true cinema buffs ! But of course, this movie reaches far above average thanks to the brilliant performances. A totally disguised Willem Dafoe is absolutely amazing in his role of Max Shreck. It's like looking at the real Schrek...the resemblance is terrific. His appearance (especially the long nails) give you the creeps whenever he's on screen and his voice haunts your head every time he says something. Dafoe never gives away a bad performance but this one is extraordinary. And of course,the same can be said about John Malkovich...his portrayal of director F.W. Murnau is extremely realistic and believable. He plays Murnau as the man who slowly goes insane because he tries to be too perfect. An amazing performance !!

There aren't many shock effects to detect in this movie but that's rather normal, right ? After all, it's more like a costume-drama than it is horror. The lack of exiting scenes is made up by the constant presence of tension and an extremely appropriate atmosphere. Also, a perfect image of Eastern Europe in the 1920's is presented to the audience. All these aspects make a much better movie then just some ordinary slashing and slicing throats. A must see !!