SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE

'''Shadow of the Vampire''' is a movie that opened in the United States on December 29, 2000. It was directed by E. Elias Merhige and written by Steven Katz, and it stars John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe and Udo Kier. The film is a fictionalized account of the making of the classic vampire film ''Nosferatu'', directed by F.W. Murnau, in which the film crew begin to suspect that their lead actor is not all that he seems.

Contents

Plot

Trivia

Cast

Awards

External links

Plot

The film is set in 1922. German director F.W. Murnau takes his cast and crew to a faraway place in order to shoot ''Nosferatu'', assuring them that everything will be fine. He tells them that the person who is playing the part of the vampire Count Orlok, an obscure German theater performer called Max Schreck, is a highly professional method actor, but in order to involve himself fully in his character, he will only appear among the cast and crew in full make-up and character.
The main setting is an old castle in Czechoslovakia. Schreck is there waiting for the filming team, and his appearance and behavior are truly disquieting. The cameraman soon starts feeling terrorized and sick, and has to be taken away and replaced. The other main actor is frightened of Schreck but then convinces himself that he is simply a very good actor.
On one occasion, two members of the crew are sharing a drink under the stars, and Schreck approaches. They invite him to join them, and Schreck drinks with them. Jokingly they ask about his vampirism and Schreck replies as if he were a real vampire, centuries old. When questioned, he tells the crew that he is so old, he cannot remember how he became a vampire, and cannot create more of his own kind. A bat flies by and Schreck catches it with a quick hand and bites it, ecstatically sucking blood from its body. The others are left impressed.
As it turns out, Murnau has made a deal with a true vampire, in order to make his film absolutely realistic. Schreck has been promised the main actress Greta Schröder as prize, provided he fulfills his role until the end of the filming. But the vampire is at times uncooperative and seems too anxious to wait. He eventually grabs a member of the crew by surprise and sucks him dry. Murnau is furious and has to threaten him, while reassuring his investors.
In the end, Schreck kills Greta Schroeder and the crew before being exposed to sunlight and dying, while Murnau continues filming.

Trivia

The film borrows the techniques of silent films, including the use of intertitles to explain elided action and iris lenses. The scenes of ''Nosferatu'' being filmed are shot in black and white.
The real life Schreck was a German stage and film actor who appeared in several movies, including Die Finanzen des Grossherzogs.

Cast

★ John Malkovich .... Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, the director of ''Nosferatu''.

★ Willem Dafoe .... Max Schreck, who plays Count Orlok.

★ Udo Kier .... Albin Grau, the producer and art director.

★ Cary Elwes .... Fritz Arno 'Fritzy' Wagner.

★ Catherine McCormack .... Greta Schröder, who plays Ellen Hutter.

★ Eddie Izzard .... Gustav von Wangenheim, who plays Hutter.

★ Aden Gillett .... Henrik Galeen.

Awards

''Shadow of the Vampire'' won several awards:

★ the Prix Tournage

★ the Saturn Award

★ the Gran Angular Award

★ the International Fantasy Film Award

★ the President Award

★ the Golden Satellite Award

★ the Independent Spirit Award

★ the LAFCA Award for Willem Dafoe

★ the Bram Stoker Award for Steven Katz
Dafoe was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

External links

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