2. Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
There have been many film adaptations of Bram Stoker's Dracula but none so highly regarded as the original 1922 German classic, Nosferatu. The arguable heyday of vampire films was in the 60's and 70's where Hammer Films were championing the horror genre with campy tales of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy and it was around this time that Werner Herzog remade what he considers the greatest German film by the greatest German director. A very different take on the character that would influence future vampire films. Herzog's rendition of Nosferatu, whose titular character is played by Klaus Kinski (their relationship with one another is a tale in itself), is a much more stylized adaptation than any other that we have seen before its release. It doesn't focus on violence nor does it portray the character of Dracula as a diabolical monster. While he looks the part, Herzog transformed the hideous creature into something that we undoubtedly fear, yes, but take pity on as well. The films crawling pace has been a note of contention among many but it is not a hindrance as the score forges together a numbing provocativeness that only adds to the vulnerability of the monster and to the tense atmosphere of the film.