Nosferatu – a Symphony of Horror

(Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens)


Image Region 0 - NTSC vs. Kino Region 0 - NTSC

DVD Covers
Distribution Image Entertainment / Blackhawk Films - Region 0
Remastered Special Edition produced by David Shepard 		Kino on Video - Region 0
Restored and most complete edition by the Münchner Filmmuseum and the Cineteca del Comune di Bologna (= Bologna version), licensed by Transit Films on behalf of the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau-Stiftung, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Runtime 80:42 min 93:21 min
contains newly restored scenes
Video 1.30:1/4:3 FullScreen
Average Bitrate: 6.50 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s		 1.30:1/4:3 FullScreen
Average Bitrate: 7.40 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
Transfer is more accurately tinted than the Image transfer (esp. night scenes)
Audio Musical Score 5.0 Dolby Digital by the Silent Orchestra
Organ Musical Score by Timothy Howard Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono		 Musical Score by Gérard Hourbette and Thierry Zaboitzeff. Performed by Art Zoyd, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo.

Musical Score by Donald Sosin. Vocals by Joana Seaton,  Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo.
Subtitles English Intertitles English Intertitles
Features Audio Commentary by German silent film connoisseur Lokke Heiss
The NosferaTour (10:14 min)
The Phantom Carriage Ride (00:33 min)
Art Production Still Gallery
Production Notes		 Lenghty excerpts from others films by F.W. Murnau;

Photo gallery;

Scene comparison: Novel, screenplay & film.
DVD Release Date: 2 January 2001
Keep Case
Chapters: 12
DVD Encoding: NTSC Region 0
DVD-9		 DVD Release Date: September 24, 2002
Keep Case
Chapters: 18
DVD Encoding: NTSC Region 0
DVD-9

Comments by Luiz Felipe do Vale Tavares & Alberto Ferraz D'arce

1) Image quality : Both editions have a fair good image quality, considering that we are talking about a 80 years old film that was almost destroyed due to legal matters. Indeed, we are lucky to have the film this intact, since only a few prints marked by the passage of time survived. Kino has the best picture quality, with sharper image and better contrast. Image has a good image quality too, but the digital restoration made some harm to it because the end result has a very digital appearance. Kino's looks more like a real "film" if you know what I mean.  At first sight it may appear that Kino has a much darker image, and that's true, but the level of detail is a lot higher than on Image disc.  The main problem with the Image disc is the soft and digital look of the film. The digital restoration made the image more stable, but it killed detail. Color tinting on the Image disc is also too saturated. Mpeg-2 compression is also problematic on the Image disc, causing severe digital artifacts on a lot of scenes. About print condition, some scenes are better preserved on Image and others on Kino. Kino has also some few extended scenes not present on the Image edition that makes the film flow better. - Luiz Felipe

  First I must remember that no master or original copy of this movie survived. The negatives were destroyed by legal action. Only copies several generations ahead from original negatives survived. So the image qualities of all know copies are poor in contrast, sometimes similar to a photocopy, and focus. For the second DVD realize by Image and for the DVD realize by Kino, digital filters was previous used to try to enhance the image and get back some hidden image details. Image edition appears to had apply a gamma increase to bring some gray tones in dark areas, but the result get too artificial, losing density and making the bright areas even more dazzled than before. Kino was more careful and just use gamma for few scenes, also without bright more the dazzled areas. About sharpness enhancement both editions used it. It's not the poor and infamous edge enhancement that everybody knows, but appears to be a sophisticated algorithm. Kino has a superior enhancement, bringing back sharpness even in small textures of clothes and skin. The Image edition has inferior result as show captures. The problem for both editions is that appears they didn't use individual adjusts for each scene, since that some shots have lower quality than average footage, so some scenes is still soft or blurred.  Also some very few scenes on Kino abused in this enhancement and get an exaggerate crisp aspect, but nothing much annoying. - Alberto

2) Soundtracks: Both DVDs feature two music soundtracks. The better one, written by Donald Sosin, is presented on the Kino disc as the default option. The other Kino track, performed by Art Zoyd, with annoying electronic sounds, is just awful. The Image DVD has one very good organ score performed by Timothy Howard and a second so so music track by the Silent Orchestra. - Luiz Felipe

3) Extras: the clear winner is the Image disc, in both quantity and quality from the supplemental material. There is: a very good commentary track by Lokke Heiss, that gives a real class teach about some aspects from the film; a scene comparison from the phantom carriage scene that shows the original scene on negative, as Murnau intended, and the positive for us to see how the horses and hider were dressed to achieve the effect; an excellent Nosferatu Tour that compare the original locations as they were back in 1922 and how they look now; and a art and production still gallery with lots of interesting material. Kino's DVD has some good extras as well: samples from other Murnau films; scene comparison "Meeting the Count" where we have access to the original chapter on Dracula's novel, the Nosferatu Screenplay, a radio play by Orson Wells and the scene from the Nosferatu film itself; and a photo gallery, not as complete as the one found on Kino’s DVD, but with some very good material. - Luiz Felipe

Additional information:

a) Footage: It's difficult to tell what footage (chemical film) is better since that  both edition was enhanced with different technologies. For precise judge that we need to compare the old Image edition with the BIFI edition, both without enhancements and respectively was transferred from the same footage of Image new edition and Kino edition. We hope zoon be able to display them on this page. Some few scenes on Kino have inferior sharpness than Image edition, even with Kino's superior enhancement, indicating that footage for that scene it's better on Image. Usually Kino is the best in sharpness, with far better details. Kino have some very grainy scenes, maybe result of enhancement as enhance grain when increase sharpness. But some scenes are very sharp and with just few grainy. Image have less grainy during the film, but a softy look. Image and Kino have image cropping but in different areas. While Image cut on top in some scenes, Kino cut below. Usually Image have less cropping, but this change scene to scene. At least Kino shows the head of Orlock when he rises of his coffin on the ship, a antologic scene. - Alberto

    b) Debris, defects and oscillations: There are a lot of dust, spots and scratches in each edition. Some scenes are extremely dust and others are reasonable clean. You can expect flicker, missing frames, stains and frame instability in both editions. Image have less frame instability but more flickers. - Alberto

    c) Full digital restoration possibilities: If we think about a fully digital restoration for this masterpiece we can hope fine results. It's need to check what is the best source for each scene. Today there are software's able to automatically recognize spots and dust correcting it. The contrast could be carefully adjusted to bring back the level, gray tones, in too dark and too bright areas. The focus could be carefully enhanced scene by scene or using a technology called Aperture Correction. Flicker can be corrected semi automatically. Scratches can be digitally eliminated. Grain can be minimized to the usual appearance of a good print of that time. Frame instability can be compensated. The problem is the large amount of defects. This make a full digital restoration very expensive and time consuming. - Alberto

DVD Menus

Image - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT - Kino -  Region 0 - NTSC - -RIGHT

 

Associated Reading  (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

 

Main Titles (Image left, Kino right)

Inter-Titles (Image left, Kino right)

 

Frame 1:
(Image top , Kino bottom)

 We can easily see that Kino's image is a little darker and cropped, but has sharper image - Luiz Felipe

 Image show more detail in shadow areas but show too bright faces. Kino is too faded and dark, but its sharper, despite of faded hide it a little. Kino is a little more cropped, especially in right side. - Alberto


Frame 2
(Image top, Kino bottom)

On this scene, Kino has sharper image and more detail, even if it's darker. We can see the signs on the paper more clearly. - Luiz Felipe

  Kino is grainier but far ahead better in sharpness and small detail, also show nice gray levels for the face. Image is too bright and gets an annoying look. Kino show great details in Orlock's eyes and brows. Image shows more information in bellow of frame. - Alberto


Frame 3
(Image top, Kino bottom)

 Again we can see why Kino is best. See the details on Orlock's hand, his face and the image from the creature above the door in the back. Image's DVD is too soft. - Luiz Felipe

 Kino again won in sharpness and details. We can see the claws and fingers well. On Kino it's a bit more cropped. - Alberto


Frame 4
(Image top, Kino bottom)

 Kino is quite more cropped in all sides, but it's sharper. - Alberto


Frame 5
(Image top, Kino Bottom)

 It's about time we get a print where we can see Orlock's complete head within the frame. - Luiz Felipe

 Kino shows the top of Orlock's head, despite of be more cropped in the other three sides, while Image cut this area. In this scene the sharpness difference between scenes it's not so evident. - Alberto

Frame 6
(Image top, Kino bottom)

 Too bad Kino's image is too dark sometimes, but again we can see how sharper it is. - Luiz Felipe

  Image show more details in shadow areas but its some flat. Kino is very dark but denser but has better sharper details on face and eyes. Kino is also grainier. - Alberto

Frame 7
(Image top, Kino bottom)

 The level of detail is again a lot higher on Kino DVD. Look at the paper sheets, most notably the two on the back wall. On the Image DVD we cannot see if something is actually written on those papers; on Kino's we can. The signs on the paper being hold by Knock are also easier to see on Kino's. - Luiz Felipe

 Kino looks more cropped on top and right side but it's very sharp and not dazzled. The Image version is brighter but has inferior definition details. - Alberto

DVD Covers
Distribution Image Entertainment / Blackhawk Films - Region 0
Remastered Special Edition produced by David Shepard 		Kino on Video - Region 0
Restored and most complete edition by the Münchner Filmmuseum and the Cineteca del Comune di Bologna (= Bologna version), licensed by Transit Films on behalf of the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau-Stiftung, Wiesbaden, Germany.


Average Bitrate from Image's DVD:
6.50 mb/s


Average Bitrate from Kino's DVD:
7.40 mb/s

 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Kino

Sound:

Kino
Extras: Image
Menu: Kino

 

Hit Counter

F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau's - Nosferatu the Vampire - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens - DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review F.W. Murnau Nosferatu the Vampire Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens DVD Review