Summaries

Synopsis

Bram Stoker's widow has refused to sell the film rights for Draculato F.W. Murnau, so Murnau [John Malkovich] decides to film it anyway, changing the names ofthe characters, the title, and the locations. Thus, Dracula becomesNosferatu, Transylvania and England become Germany, Count Draculabecomes Count Orlock, and Mina becomes Ellen. After filming the beginningsof the movie on a soundstage in Berlin, Murnau is anxious to get cast andcrew to Czechloslovakia where they will be meeting up with Max Schreck [Willem Dafoe],the vampire hired by Murnau to play an actor playing a vampire.

Murnau introduces Max Schreck as a character actor from the ReinholdCompany and explains that Schreck will remain in character at all times.Yet no one, not even producer Albin Grau [Udo Kier] knows anything about him. As avampire, Schreck is no Dracula. He is old and bald. He can't remember hishumanity; he knows only that his turning had to do with a woman, whoseface has long ago passed from his memory. He has lost most of his powers,e.g., his strength and his ability to pass through locked doors. He hasn'tseen the light of the sun for centuries. He lives in the filth of anabandoned abbey, keeping himself alive on the blood of the occasional rathe can catch. He thinks the saddest part of Dracula, which he read afterMurnau gave him a copy, is when Dracula was forced cook for Harker becausehe had no servants. He reads and angsts over Goethe's poem about Tithonus,a mortal who wished for immortality but forgot to ask for external youthand is now aged, powerless, and yet must endure...just like himself. Hehas agreed to make this film only because Murnau has promised to providehim with blood during the filming and, at the end of the movie, Murnau haspromised that Schreck can feed on Greta [Catherine McCormack], the actress who is playing EllenHarker.

As the filming progresses, Schreck's performance is both inspiringand creepy, inspiring in how he captures the essence of the vampire andcreepy in his own personality and mannerisms. To add to the creepiness,the local villagers are extremely anxious about the nosferatu,particularly after photographer Wolfgang Mueller [Ronan Vibert] is found weak and dazed.While filming the scene where Jonathan Harker cuts his finger with a breadknife, Schreck loses control and takes more blood from Wolfgang, forcingMurnau to threaten Schreck with the admonition that he cannot harm hispeople or there will be no Greta. Schreck is able to contain himself,feeding on the blood of ferrets, rats, and bats and on the occasionalbottle of blood that Murnau supplies, but one thing Schreck refuses to dois to film at sea. Consequently, Murnau is forced to build a replica ofthe ship on dry ground for the sailing scenes. However, the final scenesof the movie, where Orlock feeds from Ellen and is killed in the morningsunlight, must be shot on the island of Heligoland, so Murnau agrees tofly Orlock there. Unfortunately, Wolfgang is too far gone and must bereplaced by another photographer, Fritz Wagner [Cary Elwes].

By now, Murnau's people are beginning to suspect that Schreck is areal vampire. All the cast and crew members lock their bedroom doors atnight. Albin and Fritz have gone in search of his coffin but foundnothing. Their suspicions are confirmed when one night they come uponMurnau in a laudanum stupor. While under the influence, Murnau blurts outthat there is no Max Schreck. He found him in a book about despoticSlovakian rulers reputed to be vampires and then, while Murnau wasscouting out locations in Czechloslovakia, he came upon him living in theold monastery. When Fritz asks Murnau what he promised Schreck in returnfor acting in his movie, Murnau tells the truth: Greta. Albin and Fritzare appalled but agree to go ahead that night with the filming of thefinal scenes.

Murnau has set up the final bedroom scene in an old warehouse that islight-tight, but he has taken care to install a safeguard...a door toallow daylight to come streaming into the room at the flick of a switch.Greta, dressed in a nightgown, is positioned on the bed. Orlock is on theset, his eyes filled with lust for Greta and following her every move.Fritz is behind the camera, ready to shoot. Albin is standing by, andMurnau begins barking out directions.Just as the camera is about to roll, Greta notices that Schreck castsno reflection in the mirror next to her bed. She begins to scream, soMurnau shoots her with laudanum, which knocks her into a compliant stupor.Schreck is almost beside herself. 'I vant her now,' he hisses, but Murnaurefuses until after he has shot the death scene. When those shots arecompleted, Schreck can contain himself no longer and pounces at Greta'sneck. Amazingly, Murnau keeps the film rolling as Schreck drinks anddrinks. After drinking his fill, Schreck falls asleep, as evidenced by hissnores. Murnau, Albin, and Fritz wait.

It is daybreak. Hoping to get a more realistic death scene, Murnauorders that the door be opened to flood the room with sunlight.Unbeknown to Murnau, however, Schreck has found the trap and dismantledit. In releasing the lever, the noise awakens Schreck, who becomes irateat being tricked. Fritz attempts to fire on him, but Schreck is imperviousto bullets and breaks Fritz's neck. Then he chokes Albin. Meanwhile,Murnau has taken over the camera. He informs Schreck that this ending isunworkable and requests that he return to his original mark. Amazingly,Schreck complies, returning to Greta's neck for another sip of blood. Justthen, the outside crew breaks down the door, allowing the sunlight intothe chamber, and Schreck dies again...this time for real.After ending the shot, Murnau looks up from the camera and says, 'Ithink we have it.' [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]