Rating: 
Summary: Kino Edition Weakened By Poor Music
Review: Out of the two reasonable options, I purchased the Kino version of "Nosferatu" over that of Image Entertainment. There is much to enjoy in the film, of course, which is the basis of my rating; such can not be said of the accompanying music. Two soundtracks are provided: 1) a mediocre synthesizer effort by Sosin, which stupidly incorporates some annoying, occasionally comical, sound effects; and 2) a worthless track of noise masquerading as music, wholely contemptible. I've wondered if I made the wrong choice. A couple of reviewers have suggested that the music on the IE version is even worse. I find that hard to believe, but if so, there must be a conspiracy at work. Interestingly, I own a CD of glorious music composed-- by the late, great James Bernard-- specifically for this film. I wonder why his score was not an option on either version?
Rating: 
Summary: Definitive Dracula flick
Review: Other reviews will assure you of the wondrousness of this movie - only one caveat, which is, don't watch this before you watch Coppola's 'Dracula', as it might completely ruin what is actually not a bad movie.
I saw this at a film festival years ago, on a double bill with the Coppola version, and it really puts Coppola in the shade - as though you couldn't guess. Not quite like watching the Gus Van Sant version of Psycho, but not far off.
Hope this is helpful. Enjoy the movie - though try and watch it on the big screen if you can.
Rating: 
Summary: Film varies depending on who publishes
Review: A 1922 Dracula knockoff that became a benchmark. Directed by FW Maurnau and starring an actor using the assumed name "Max Shreck".Originally titled "Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie Des Grauens",(but subsequently availible under a slew of psuedonyms, including "horror of dracula") and possibly no longer availible in its original edit, this 1922 silent masterpiece ironically came closest to matching the context of Stoker's novel, even while it tried to change character names and plot details to prevent copyright infirngement (a sebsequent lawsuit almost saw the destruction of every existing copy, and henceforth it has been almost impossible to track down the original version.) The origins of some of the video released versions of Nosferatu are dubious. Most do not use the dark-tinting filter that the film was supposed to be shown with (hence, many scenes of Orlok creeping down alleys in the moonlight are revealed to be shot in broad daylight, and look absolutely ridiculous), and the questionable Republic Pictures version has altered narrative screens that refer to the vampire Orlok as "Dracula", and to the hero as "Jonathon"). The Film's greatest asset is shady actor Max Shreck's nightmare incarnation of the rat-faced Count Graf Orlok, with his long claws and piercing eyes, who remains one of the creepiest screen incarnation of Dracula ever. Almost any of the few scenes that feature him are directed with a magnificent omninence, and have been a benchmark for all film vampires to follow since. Early uses of special effects (including, in some versions, negative film and stop motion effects), and of course the classic rigid-as-a-pole-rise-up-from-the-coffin scene that was copied directly in Bram Stoker's Dracula. There are some laughable filming errors, and alot of silly overacting that ruins a few scenes. The dubbed soundtrack to the Republic Pictures release is truly awful, and probably not part of the original film. Classic creepiness, but those without patience or an open mind will find this masterpiece dated.
Rating:
Summary: Cinema's First Vampire in Expressionist/Romanticist Allegory
Review: A real estate agent (Alexander Granach) in the town of Wisborg, Germany receives a letter from a foreign aristocrat, Count Orlok, expressing an interest in purchasing a home in the town. The real estate agent dispatches his clerk, Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to Transylvania to offer the Count a suitable house. Hutter bids his disappointed young wife farewell and eagerly sets out to make the sale of his career. He reaches Transylvania at the same time a mysterious disease is ravaging the countryside and finds the locals to be inviting but oddly superstitious. He also finds his host, Count Orlok (Max Schreck), to be an imposing and frightening figure. He finally senses that his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroder), may be in grave danger and makes haste to return home. Meanwhile, Count Orlok is also headed for Wisborg, where he plans to occupy his new home. "Nosferatu" was directed by F.W. Murnau in 1922. It was written by Henrik Galeen and is a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel "Dracula", faithful to the novel's themes but not to its story. The cinematography is by Gunther Kramph. This version of the film's score (Image Entertainment DVD) was composed and performed in 1991by The Silent Orchestra and Timothy Howard, who sought out music by 19th century composers who would have been contemporary to Murnau's youth when creating the score. Like many films of the era, "Nosferatu" was filmed in black and white but then tinted so that the final product is a colored film. Murnau uses no fewer than 5 colors in "Nosferatu". The colors are especially important in this film since they are used not only to convey mood but also to represent the passage of time: Sepia for daylight or indoor light, blue for night, mauve for dawn and dusk. When we see the color change, we feel time slipping past. Much of the movie was filmed outdoors in bright sunlight, which it seems was too much for the film stock to handle. Highlights in the film are terribly overexposed, which annoyed me almost immediately. Unlike many of his expressionist contemporaries, F.W. Murnau didn't like to shoot indoors in front of sets. His love of nature is commendable, and it distinguished his work, but super-contrasty scenes with no detail in the highlights are the inevitable result. "Nosferatu" is so replete with symbolism that you will have to watch it several times to catch it all. Count Orlok commands attention whenever he is on screen. He is fascinating. But the narrative itself is weak. If you're just watching this movie for the story and its terror-inducing properties, as I did the first time I saw it, I think you will find your attention waning during scenes which don't contain Count Orlok. The film is best viewed as allegory. Seen as Freudian, Christian, pagan, expressionist, romanticist, and/or social allegory, the story develops so many facets and implications that the viewer can't keep up with them all. Taken literally, the narrative seems sloppy and nonsensical in places but is saved by Orlok's strong presence. I recommend numerous viewings, including one with the audio commentary enabled. Intertitles in English only. The DVD (This refers to the Image Entertainment Special Edition DVD only.): Bonus features include an audio commentary by film historian Lokke Heiss, a tour of the film's locations, an essay explaining the phantom carriage ride scene, and a gallery of still photos and drawings with explanations. The audio commentary by Lokke Heiss is excellent. He discusses the romantic and expressionist influences in the film, as well as its structure, symbolism, technique, and allegorical implications. I highly recommend listening to the audio commentary on a second viewing. The tour of locations is also interesting. The condition of the print from which this DVD was made is reasonably good. There are some visual noise and imperfections, but not enough to be distracting.
Rating: 
Summary: A curiosity but hardly watchable.
Review: A renowned and influential work of movie history that manages to tell the story of Dracula at a sufficiently vibrant pace. Since the story has been done so many times since, it is entirely predictable to the modern viewer, and the melodramatic pantomime of the day causes what was once a very frightening film to seem rather comical.
Rating:
Summary: Count Orlok is on the prowl!
Review: Being a big fan of these old horror movies, I had read a lot about Nosferatu but never thought I would get the chance to see it. Even though it is a silent film, the organ music is captivating and some of the scenes leave you spellbound! It was definitely a spinoff of Dracula. Having seen that 1931 classic, I was able to keep up with Nosferatu even better. Too bad this movie didn't have sound. Some scenes were really creepy, particulary Orlok emerging from his coffin in the bowels of the ship, coming out of the hold amid the sea of rats, and sneaking to the old home he purchased, carrying his coffin. This was my first silent film to ever watch, and I wasn't disappointed. Count Orlok's look was genuinely creepy, to say the least. And how fitting that the actor who portrayed the count had the last name of Schreck. Wonderful effort, considering it was 1922. Saving this film, even though it was clearly plagarism, preserves the history and genre of the early horror films. A must see for horror movie buffs!
Rating:
Summary: Let's REALLY set the record straight!
Review: Here's the daddy of all the boo-movies, the most foreboding, retina-burning, tentacle-fingered bloodsucker, bar none. However, the year this film was released was 1922, not 1929, as is repeatedly claimed on the Amazon site. I have no idea how all listings of this film consistantly claim that the great Rudolf Klein-Rogge appears in this film, either. He does not. I've just checked the credits on my copy and he is not listed in the titles at all. Klein-Rogge's own countenance is as memorable as that of Max Schreck's. That's why Klein-Rogge's cameo in "Das Kabinet" (der Caligari) is so easy to spot. As to the opening titles - 1922 is the first thing I see when running my copy of the film! Klein-Rogge was practically a Fritz Lang exclusive up until that great director fled Germany in the mid-1930's.
Rating:
Summary: Everlasting Life and Greta Schroeder
Review: I bought "Nosferatu" on Halloween night, to screen a double-feature with "Shadow of the Vampire". This turned out to be a terrific idea and caused me to wish, for the first time since childhood and my array of Star Wars costumes, that Halloween came eleven or twelve times a year. "Nosferatu" may be 80 years old, but its influence is, amusingly enough, going to be eternal. The "Symphony of Horror" special edition DVD is absolutely a must-have, with three audio tracks that basically create three different versions of the film, and with three excellent mini-features. The basic audio track is an organ score derived from early-19th-century Romantic composers. Married to the film's flickering tinted images, this makes ideal Halloween (or, indeed, any post-midnight) viewing. The second audio score is more experimental, more modern, and much, much more fun. Whereas the organ track basically lies underneath the movie and provides a traditional (if static) experience, the "Silent Orchestra" compositions give the undead film a new life. This rock-jazz-classical track positively breathes in the way that Dracula never could. The final audio track is the commentary by German film expert Lokke Heiss. Don't be fooled by the man's voice and delivery, which is about as dynamic as balsa wood and interesting as an American cheese sandwich on white bread. He cites both scholarly film treatises and Stephen King as he discusses Murnau's influences, the film's light-dark composition, and the use of mirrors and windows within the movie. This is a terrific commentary track in that it increased my understanding of the move ten-fold. Pity they couldn't have had someone with an actual voice (like Christopher Lee) read Mr. Heiss's words. The featurettes range from cute to weird. Weirdest is the "Nosfera-Tour", ten minutes worth of home movies narrated once more by Heiss (oy vey) as he presents pictures of what the film's "Wisborg" looks like in the year 2000. The "Phantom Carriage Ride" is very eerie, spotlighting as it does one of the truly *bizarre* moments in the film. Finally, the art/photo gallery is splendid, one of the best galleries I've seen on a DVD. The real treasure comes at the beginnng -- the charcoal drawings that were producer Albin Grau's original renderings of Nosferatu. The DVD packaging -- cardboard case with plastic snap -- may be cheap, but it contains within one of filmdom's finest moments, and provides far more than just 81 minutes of enjoyment. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for a genre fan!!!
Review: I first saw this film in late October 2003 on TCM and was, quite frankly, overwhelmed. I have a commercial version of this film on VHS (approx. 68 minutes). I watched this particular version for TWENTY MINUTES before I saw a single scene from my edition. I even discovered scenes that are misplaced in my edition. If you are a fan of the silent, impressionistic film genre or a fan of vintage horror or vampire films, this piece is a MUST HAVE for your collection. The subtitles and the music have been greatly enhanced. BUY IT! I would've recorded it if I'd known what treasures awaited me on that night. This is not mere pieces of film spliced callously together. This truly is Nosferatu as it was originally intended to be seen!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent edition (Nosferatu: Special Edition)
Review: I love the film Nosferatu, but to find out about the movie, there are ample reviews below, I would like to focus on this edition itself. The edition reproduces the tinting effects used in the original to convey sunrise and sunset (red), night (blue), and yellow (day). At first jarring, these effects are soon appreciated for their artistic merit, considering the date the film was made. Two audio tracks are offered, one by an ensemble called the Silent Orchestra, which utilizes multiple instruments to really capture the feel of the film, and a simple track of creepy pipe organ music, which also compliments the film nicely. An audio commentary is also available, which is nice. Then and now photos of the set locations (with commentary) are another interesting look at the world of Nosferatu. Other extras include Production stills, costume design and sketches, and a "tour of the world of NOsferatu." A great DVD edition for an incredible silent gem.
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