When it comes to this 1979 classic, you get the sense that Nosferatu and Werner Herzog were made for one another - and not just because they're both German. There's something inherently Herzogian about the feeling of dread and the paranoia that carries the original F.W. Murnau Nosferatu, after all, and so Herzog taking on an adaptation feels apt. Nosferatu the Vampire, then, is a film all about the atmosphere; Herzog relies on the power of images to tell this story, which unfolds as an increasingly hypnotic series of shots. Essentially, it's the same old Bram Stoker tale that we've seen dozens of times, but here the story is felt in waves of anxiety - one long sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Herzog regular Klaus Kinski takes on the role of Count Dracula, and - as one might expect - imbues the role with a menace that feels very much real, whilst Bruno Ganz is cast in the role of hero Jonathan Harker. It's a strange film, to say the least, but - like so many vampire movies - it never turns and winks at the audience, which makes it all the more unsettling.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
