Vampire relives production of classic Nosferatu

Shadow of the Vampire is the dark tale of the production of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu A Symphony of Horror. The story follows F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) as he sets out to create the most realistic tale about a vampire. Murnau eventually finds the right person to play the terrifying vampire, a man known as Count Orlock. After filming some initial scenes on a sound stage in Berlin, Murnau and the crew set out to the countryside to film the castle and Orlock. When they arrive, Murnau explains that the man playing Count Orlock will be a method actor named Max Schreck (Wilhelm Dafoe), and that since Schreck is completely absorbed in his role that filming will only take place at night. When the crew first meets Schreck, they are a little frightened to say the least. He seems so distant and so authentic to his character that the crew are suspicious about him. As filming progresses and members of the crew began to mysteriously fall ill and die, the crew begin to question Murnau about Schreck's true identity. Shadow of the Vampire is based upon the real cast and crew of the German film Nosferatu, which was the first movie to be made about vampires. Nosferatu was initially meant to be a film adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, but when Murnau was unable to attain the rights to the book, he changed around some elements of the story and altered the names of characters in order to get around copyright laws. Even though the film was a little different from the novel, Murnau was issued a court order to destroy all copies of the film. Sometime later a surviving copy of the film was discovered, but it is uncertain as to whether or not this was a complete copy of the production. Malkovich plays Murnau's character with a great performance that audiences have come to expect from the renowned actor. He acts with a subtle tone of sarcasm and contempt that his character voices towards Schreck beautifully. The mysterious Max Schreck is masterfully played by Dafoe. The full makeup and prosthetics that Dafoe wears may fool the eye, but it's his performance that truly transforms him into the vampire. For his very convincing and enthralling performance, Dafoe was given a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor. The darkly lit cinematography and gothic locales of Europe only help to magnify the comedic aspects of the film. Along with the performances of the Dafoe and Malkovich, the viewer is able to laugh at the horror of everything that happens. Shadow of the Vampire has but one shortcoming; it is only an hour and a half long. It certainly seems more epic than its allotted time permits. Very refreshing and able to absorb the audience into its world, the film is a definite must see. Shadow of the Vampire is now playing at the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8. Rating: A