Despite lacking nudity, the 1922 film Nosferatu, starring Max Schreck as the chilling Count Orlok was initially banned.
Now, a new adaptation is in cinemas with Bill Skarsgård as the titular vampire alongside Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe. The new Nosferatu is first major English language remake, although a meticulous shot-for-shot recreation was filmed in 2023.
Nosferatu‘s origins are steeped in controversy. Director F.W. Murnau and co-producer Albin Grau initially sought the rights to adapt Bram Stoker’s Dracula. When Stoker’s estate refused, they forged ahead, significantly altering the story. Count Dracula was remade as Count Orlok, England was swapped with Germany, and other background and character elements were modified, all in an attempt to circumvent legal issues.
These changes, however, did little to appease Florence Stoker, Bram’s widow. She pursued legal action for copyright infringement. The Judge sided with the Stoker estate and the English court ruled Nosferatu was illegal and ordering the destruction of all copies.
But like the vampires they portrayed, copies of Nosferatu proved resilient. Prints had already reached the United States, where copyright laws differed. These surviving copies were duplicated, allowing the film to slowly gain an audience. Thanks to the quality of the German filmography and acting of the stars, Nosferatu has achieved its status as a cinematic classic.
You could argue there’s irony here and that the very attempt to destroy Nosferatu likely helped secure its legacy. F.W. Murnau’s film not only showed the importance of copyright law but also guided the horror movie industry, its shadowy influence still felt today.
In Pure Spirit
Have you seen the Bill Skarsgård Nosferatu? What did you make of the movie?
Creative Commons art: Kurt Barlow Nosferatu by LaganLefredes.
Join the conversation