# Nosferatu the Vampyre

> 1979 film directed by Werner Herzog

**Wikidata**: [Q160259](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160259)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu_the_Vampyre)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/nosferatu-the-vampyre

## Summary
Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 German horror film directed by Werner Herzog, serving as a remake of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent film "Nosferatu." The film stars Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula and Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker, reimagining the classic vampire tale with a distinctive artistic vision.

## Key Facts
- Directed by Werner Herzog, released in 1979
- Stars Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula and Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker
- German production with the original title "Nosferatu – Phantom der Nacht"
- Genre classified as both vampire film and drama film
- Production companies include Werner Herzog Filmproduktion and ZDF
- Countries of origin: Germany and France
- Runtime of 107 minutes (107.0 minutes)
- Budget of 2,500,000 Deutsche Mark
- IMDb ID: tt0079641
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
- Metacritic score: 79/100
- IMDb rating: 8.2/10
- Wikipedia sitelink count: 39 language editions
- Publication date: January 1, 1979 (general), April 12, 1979 (specific)
- Library of Congress Control Number: 2002085348
- Wikidata ID: Q27131943

## FAQs
**What is the plot of Nosferatu the Vampyre?**
The film follows Jonathan Harker, who travels to Transylvania to finalize a real estate transaction with Count Dracula, unaware that the count is a vampire. Dracula travels to Wismar, bringing plague and death, while Lucy Harker must confront the vampire to save the town.

**Who directed Nosferatu the Vampyre and who stars in it?**
Werner Herzog directed the film, with Klaus Kinski portraying Count Dracula and Isabelle Adjani playing Lucy Harker. The cast also includes Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker and Roland Topor as Renfield.

**How does this film relate to the original Nosferatu?**
Herzog's film is an intentional remake of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent classic "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens." While maintaining the basic story structure, Herzog's version features sound, color cinematography, and a more sympathetic portrayal of Dracula.

**What makes this version of Dracula different from other adaptations?**
Unlike traditional portrayals of Dracula as a seductive aristocrat, Kinski's Dracula is depicted as a pathetic, lonely creature ravaged by disease and isolation. The film emphasizes themes of plague, death, and the decline of aristocracy rather than romance.

**Where was Nosferatu the Vampyre filmed?**
The film was shot on location in the Netherlands, including Delft, Schiedam, and the Wadden Sea, as well as in Wismar, Germany, which serves as the primary setting for the story's plague-ravaged town.

## Why It Matters
Nosferatu the Vampyre represents a significant artistic achievement in horror cinema, demonstrating how classic stories can be reimagined through different cultural and historical lenses. Werner Herzog's interpretation transforms the vampire myth from a tale of supernatural horror into a meditation on disease, mortality, and the decline of European aristocracy. The film's visual style, characterized by long takes, natural lighting, and atmospheric locations, creates a haunting meditation on death and decay that transcends conventional horror tropes. By casting Klaus Kinski as a physically repulsive yet sympathetic Dracula, Herzog challenges audiences to reconsider the nature of monstrosity and isolation. The film's exploration of plague as both literal disease and metaphor for cultural decline resonates with contemporary concerns about societal collapse and human vulnerability.

## Notable For
- Considered one of the greatest vampire films ever made
- Features Klaus Kinski's acclaimed performance as a sympathetic Dracula
- Shot in the actual locations mentioned in Bram Stoker's novel
- Known for its distinctive visual style and atmospheric cinematography
- Represents a successful artistic reinterpretation of a classic silent film
- Explores themes of disease, mortality, and cultural decline
- Features a haunting score by Popol Vuh
- Demonstrates Werner Herzog's unique approach to genre filmmaking
- Maintains fidelity to the original story while creating something entirely new
- Cast members Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog had a famously tumultuous working relationship

## Body

### Production and Creative Team
Werner Herzog directed Nosferatu the Vampyre through his production company Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, with co-production support from ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen), the German public-service television broadcaster. The film was a German-French co-production, reflecting Herzog's international approach to filmmaking. Herzog also wrote the screenplay, adapting the story while maintaining connections to both Bram Stoker's novel and Murnau's original film.

### Cast and Characters
Klaus Kinski stars as Count Dracula, bringing his intense screen presence to the role of the vampire. Isabelle Adjani portrays Lucy Harker, the film's heroine who ultimately confronts Dracula. Bruno Ganz plays Jonathan Harker, Lucy's husband who travels to Transylvania. Roland Topor appears as Renfield, the madman who serves Dracula. The supporting cast includes Walter Ladengast as Dr. Van Helsing, and Dan van Husen as the ship's captain.

### Visual Style and Cinematography
The film was shot by cinematographer Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein, a frequent collaborator with Herzog. The visual approach emphasizes natural lighting, long takes, and atmospheric locations rather than conventional horror techniques. Filming took place in the Netherlands and Germany, with locations including Delft, Schiedam, the Wadden Sea, and Wismar. The cinematography creates a sense of decay and isolation that permeates the entire film, using the actual historical locations mentioned in Stoker's novel to ground the supernatural story in reality.

### Music and Sound
The film's score was composed by Popol Vuh, a German band known for their work with Herzog on multiple projects. The music combines electronic and acoustic elements to create an otherworldly atmosphere that complements the film's visual style. The sound design emphasizes natural sounds and silence, creating tension through absence rather than conventional horror scoring techniques.

### Themes and Interpretation
Herzog's interpretation emphasizes themes of disease, mortality, and the decline of European aristocracy. The film portrays Dracula not as a powerful predator but as a pathetic, lonely creature suffering from isolation and disease. The plague that Dracula brings to Wismar serves as both literal disease and metaphor for cultural and societal decline. The film explores the relationship between life and death, suggesting that Dracula's immortality is actually a form of eternal suffering rather than power.

### Reception and Legacy
The film received critical acclaim upon release and has maintained its reputation as one of the greatest vampire films ever made. It holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.2/10 rating on IMDb. The film is studied in film schools for its visual style, thematic depth, and successful reinterpretation of classic material. It has influenced subsequent horror films and continues to be referenced in discussions of vampire cinema and artistic horror filmmaking.

### Distribution and Availability
The film has been released on various home video formats and is available through multiple streaming platforms. It has been restored and remastered several times, with the most recent restoration preserving Herzog's original vision. The film's availability has contributed to its continued influence and accessibility to new audiences.

### Related Works
Nosferatu the Vampyre exists within a larger context of vampire cinema and Herzog's filmography. It follows Murnau's original Nosferatu and precedes numerous other Dracula adaptations. The film shares thematic and stylistic elements with Herzog's other works, particularly his interest in isolation, madness, and the relationship between humans and nature. The collaboration between Herzog and Kinski extended beyond this film to include several other projects, creating a body of work known for its intensity and artistic ambition.

### Cultural Impact
The film has become a touchstone for artistic horror cinema, demonstrating how genre films can achieve artistic depth and cultural significance. Its influence can be seen in subsequent vampire films that emphasize atmosphere and character over conventional horror tropes. The film's visual style has been referenced and imitated in various media, and its thematic exploration of disease and isolation continues to resonate with contemporary audiences. The film's success helped establish Herzog's international reputation and demonstrated the commercial and artistic viability of European art cinema.

## References

1. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079641/)
2. [Source](http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/nosferatu-vampire-film)
3. [Source](http://stopklatka.pl/film/nosferatu-wampir)
4. filmportal.de
5. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079641/fullcredits)
6. The Movie Database
7. Nosferatu. Rotten Tomatoes
8. [Source](https://www.filmdienst.de/film/details/33131/nosferatu-phantom-der-nacht)
9. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
10. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/nosferatu-the-vampyre/)
11. terjesztesre_kerulo_filmalkotasok_nyilvantartasa.xlsx
12. [Source](http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=1382.html)
13. List of film licenses issued from 1945 to 2020
14. [Source](https://www.cnc.fr/professionnels/visas-et-classification/49385)
15. Online-Filmdatenbank
16. Bechdel Test Movie List
17. mymovies.it
18. Danish Film Database
19. [Source](https://www.acmi.net.au/works/83118)
20. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
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22. FilmVandaag.nl