Herzog's Nosferatu is the artiest spin yet on Bram Stoker's Dracula, a
million miles from the Hammer movies, and sharing little but a title
with Murnau's silent classic. Where Max Shrek's vampire was a
physically repulsive incarnation of evil, Kinski brings his
trademark weird magnetism to the role. But in this film, Herzog
subordinates acting to cinematography. It's full of still, silent
tableaux - beautifully shot and elegantly composed, but emotionally
unengaging. They seem to go on for an eternity, making the plot all but
imperceptible. There's great stuff in this film, but you have to work
pretty hard to get at it.
