Willem Dafoe: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Max Shreck - Shadow Of The Vampire (2000)

Films about film are as old as cinema itself. Some are celebratory to the point of ecstasy, with the likes of 8 1/2 and Cinema Paradiso eulogising on cinema as an art form that can transform people's lives. Others view cinema in a more macabre and gruesome light, with Peeping Tom likening film directors to serial killers and Berberian Sound Studio regarding them as the high priests of some bizarre religious ceremony. Shadow of the Vampire is a neat and offbeat entry into the latter category, which confirms Dafoe's reputation for committing to a role. Shadow of the Vampire is a fictionalised account of the making of Nosferatu, the legendary 1922 silent vampire film by German cinema pioneer F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich). Murnau casts character actor Max Shreck (Dafoe) to play Court Orlok (a.k.a. Dracula). Shreck is a 1920s Daniel Day-Lewis, refusing to appear in front of the crew without his costume and make-up and never breaking character. As filming progresses, Shreck's behaviour becomes more and more peculiar, and Murnau increasingly believes that he is closer to his character than they first thought... Shadow of the Vampire is an odd but intriguing little film which works both as a tribute to silent cinema and a creepy horror story in its own right. It embraces the exaggerated acting styles and personalities of its era, so that all the sillier touches actually work to the advantage of the story. Dafoe won his second Oscar nomination for his performance, which finds him relishing in the more humourous aspects while keeping us constantly on edge with how far he is prepared to go. He was also responsible for the title of the film; it was changed from Burned to Light when the actor asked the director, "Who's Ed?", believing it to be called Burn Ed to Light. (P. S. For more thoughts on films about film, check out this article I wrote for WhatCulture! back in January 2012).