Herzog's Nosferatu

Crispin Hellion Glover and Lost Subtitles

Lincoln Center has this interesting series for Young Friends of Film. Luckily under 40 still qualifies me as 'young'. This is the first film I've attended as part of the series that is designed to introduce classic films to a new generation of audiences.

Crispin Hellion Glover is one weird guy but I absolutely love his work (Willard is a fav!). He introduced the film with some interesting antidotes as he is also personal friends with Herzog. He plugged his own film, What Is It?, a few times and from the preview, it is one strange, perverse, and exploitively CHG. The part I liked best was his imitation of a pivot technique Kinski used to come into camera frame. He stood just to the side of the shot, planted his foot next to the camera and turned 180 degrees to come face-forward into the lens. Creepy good. Crispin steals from the best.

Nosferatu is the classic version of the Dracula story first filmed in silent black & white directed by Murnau in 1922. Herzog kept the look of the vampire from this original - long nails, pointed teeth, and raggedly pointed ears to portray the bat in human form. Herzog is known for working in remote locations and using the tempermental Klaus Kinski in his films. I highly recommend My Best Fiend for those interested in seeing how crazy, homicidal his working relationship with Kinski was. I prefer the silent version for effect and story but Herzog does add a soft focus 1970s feel to this version. The locations in Holland, Czechoslovakia, and the Tatra Mountains were beautifully incorporated into the story. Signature Herzog, the film had an infusion of local faces captured in intimate close-ups along with their stories, superstitions, and religious beliefs infused into the plot with both humorous and ominous effect. He changed the ending a bit which I enjoyed. One annoying part of watching the German version (he also shot an English version simultaneously!) was the subtitles. For many frames and whole dialog sessions, back-n-forth between two characters, there were NO subtitles; not just bad translations but absolutely nothing translated at all. Overall I don't think this is his best work nor is the film engaging beyond a few interesting ideas and moments captured here and there in some scenes. Yes, it is Herzog but not the fabulously furious and fearless Herzog I love (Fitzcarraldo, Grizzly Man). Makes me want to go see Aguirre Wrath of God at the Film Forum.