How Is Nosferatu Similar To Dracula

Grace Kuenzli

Ms. Jeurgens

AP English Literature Composition

26 October 2016

Dracula Paper

Nosferatu (1922) is a notorious horror-film directed by F.W. Murnau, and is credited for being the first film adaptation of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Although Nosferatu and Dracula share obvious similarities, the two works are also in stark contrast of one another in terms of characterization, particularly concerning the character of Dracula. Ultimately, this variation between the novel and its film adaptation highlights the theme of vampirism being associated with sexuality versus disease and the plague.

To begin with, the vampire in the film, known as Nosferatu (hence, the title of the work), is characterized as a rather ghoulish figure

with animalistic qualities (Nosferatu). Leavy claims that rather than being fascinating and romantic like the image of Dracula in the novel, Nosferatu is instead cadaverous and time-worn in appearance, an immediate contrast with the initial characterization of Stoker’s Dracula. To elaborate, in Nosferatu, the vampire is presented with bat-like, pointy ears and long, sharp claws for hands, emphasizing his monstrous form and lack of human qualities. Because the film is a German expressionist film, Nosferatu’s costume is evidently of an expressionistic design; its aim is to convey a startling, uncomfortable emotion from the audience. Nosferatu’s costume inevitably characterizes him as strangely gaunt and abnormally tall, as it consists of nothing but a long, black-clad coat, most notable in the scene in which Nosferatu stands under a door frame, about to enter Hutter’s bedroom (Leavy). Also, the agonizingly slow, unnatural movement of his walking provides a rather suspenseful effect on the audience, as he/she is constantly dreading Nosferatu’s next move. In one notorious shot, which occurs inside the ship’s hold, Nosferatu gradually rises before a sailorman to stand fully erect, without a bend in his body (Leavy). With this scene, Murnau conveys to the audience the extent of Nosferatu’s overwhelmingly eerie powers and supernatural existence.
According to Leavy, another manifestation of Nosferatu’s malicious powers is the ensuing “plague epidemic,” which accompanies his travel to the village.

In the film, Nosferatu is a plague of humanity, a disease. He is the embodiment of Death, rather than simply a monstrous ghoul. To elaborate, in one notable scene, Murnau presents vampirism in light of the devastation and desolation of Wisbourg, the mysterious yet deadly plague (Leavy). The high-angle shot looking down onto the village depicts an evident procession of men in black clothing carrying the coffins of the “plague’s” victims along the streets (Nosferatu). Each are portrayed to be a victim of Nosferatu’s horrors. Overall, it is implied throughout the film that, when bitten by Nosferatu, death is

inevitable.
On the other hand, rather than depicting Dracula as an eerie, deformed monster with sharp fangs and bat-like ears such as Nosferatu, the Dracula character in Stoker’s Dracula is characterized as a “tall old man, clean shaven” (Stoker 13). This is most noteworthy in the first chapter, where Jonathan Harker comments to the reader of Count Dracula’s physical appearance—a “strong” face that “showed vitality in a man of his years”—and thus, emphasizing his extraordinary ability to embody the appearance of a human disguise (Stoker 15). In Nosferatu, the vampire is a ghastly figure similar to that of an animal, whereas the novel’s descriptions aim to characterize Dracula as young and rather attractive in appearance, with normal physical characteristics.
Count Dracula’s ability to transform into a debonair, suave version of himself is also evident in the scene where Jonathan and Mina Harker spot him in the streets while traveling to Exeter in chapter 13.

Count Dracula in this scene is depicted as a “tall, thin man” with a “black moustache,” which implies his youthful appearance (Stoker 147). He then proceeds to act courteous to a young lady passing by along the streets. He is “observ[ing]” her, eventually following after she drives away, indicating that the woman may become his next victim (Stoker 148). Another instance is the scene in which Count Dracula attacks Mina Harker, drinks her blood, and claims that “you, their best beloved one, are now to me… blood of my blood” (Stoker 247). In the novel, Count Dracula is the essence of sensuality, as there is constantly a focus on fascination with his character by the women in the novel. On the other hand, in the film adaptation, vampirism represents death by the plague, as noted previously. Another variation between the two works is the fact that the Vampire in Dracula is fertile (as he is what may be considered a young vampire) and thus, “can produce” (Stoker 242). In other words, Count Dracula has the ability to make new vampires from humans who, if bitten, will become controlled under his maleficent powers. This is evident in Lucy Westenra’s alleged attack. Meanwhile, Nosferatu is implied to be both infertile and incapable of creating new vampires, for if bitten by

Nosferatu, it is death that will result, not transformation.
To conclude, although the two works, Nosferatu and Dracula, both share a variety of similarities, distinctions remain evident concerning the characterization of Dracula. Whereas Nosferatu possesses monstrous and animalistic qualities throughout the film (ultimately contributing to the central theme of death by the plague), Stoker’s Count Dracula differs significantly, as he is seen solely in his human form as an embodiment of romanticism and sexuality.
Word Count: 940
Works Cited

Leavy, William. “NOSFERATU: Murnau’s use of Expressionism in his film.” Academia, www.academia.edu/2205991/NOSFERATU_Murnaus_Use_of_Expressionism_in_his_Fi lm. Accessed 26 October 2016.
Nosferatu a Symphony of Horror. Directed by F.W. Murnau, performances by Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, and Greta Schröder, Jofa-Atelier Berlin-Johannisthal, 1922.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Mineola, NY, Dover Publications, Inc., 2000.