Nosferatu 1922 F.W. Murnau

(aka "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens" or "Nosferatu the Vampire" or "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror" or "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror" or "Nosferatu: The First Vampire" or "Terror of Dracula" or "Die Zwölfte Stunde")

directed by F.W. Murnau
Germany 1922

An iconic film of the German expressionist cinema, and one of the most famous of all silent movies, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror continues to haunt — and, indeed, terrify — modern audiences with the unshakable power of its images. By teasing a host of occult atmospherics out of dilapidated set-pieces and innocuous real-world locations alike, Murnau captured on celluloid the deeply-rooted elements of a waking nightmare, and launched the signature “Murnau-style” that would change cinema history forever.

In this first-ever screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a simple real-estate transaction leads an intrepid businessman deep into the superstitious heart of Transylvania. There he encounters the otherworldly Count Orlok — portrayed by the legendary Max Schreck, in a performance the very backstory of which has spawned its own mythology — who soon after embarks upon a cross-continental voyage to take up residence in a distant new land… and establish his ambiguous dominion. As to whether the count’s campaign against the plague-wracked populace erupts from satanic decree, erotic compulsion, or the simple impulse of survival — that remains, perhaps, the greatest mystery of all in this film that’s like a blackout…

Remade by Werner Herzog in 1979 (and inspiring films as diverse as Abel Ferrara’s King of New York and The Addiction, and E. Elias Merhige’s Shadow of the Vampire), F. W. Murnau’s surreal 1922 cine-fable remains the original and landmark entry in the entire global tradition of “the horror film”.

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 5th, 1922 - Germany

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DVD Comparison:

Eureka - Masters of Cinema (2-disc) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Kino Video (2-disc) - Region 0 - NTSC

(Eureka - Masters of Cinema - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Kino Video - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Eureka - Masters of Cinema Spine #64 Region 0 - PAL	Kino Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:34:33	1:34:09
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.82 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.72 / 6.14 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Eureka
Bitrate: Kino (disc 1)
Bitrate: Kino (disc 2)
Audio	Hans Erdmann score in 5.1 stereo	Hans Erdmann score in 5.1 stereo and 2.0
Subtitles / Intertitles	Original German with optional English subtitle translation.	Translated Intertitles on Disc 1 and original German with optional English subtitle translation on disc 2.
Features	Release Information: Studio: Eureka MoC Aspect Ratio: Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Commentary track by silent film historian and bookseller R. Dixon Smith with freelance film critic Brad Stevens. • The Language of Shadows — a 53-minute German documentary by Luciano Berriatúa about Murnau and the making of Nosferatu complete with fascinating footage of the film’s locations today. • Restoration demonstration • 80-page book containing articles by Thomas Elsaesser (author of Weimar Cinema and After: Germany’s Historical Imaginary); Gilberto Perez (author of The Material Ghost: Films and Their Medium); Enno Patalas (former director of the Münchner Stadtmuseum/Filmmuseum, where he was responsible for the restoration of many German classics, including Nosferatu); a newly translated archival piece on vampires by the film’s producer Albin Grau; notes on the film’s restoration; and archival imagery. DVD Release Date: November 19th, 2007 Double Thick Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 18	Release Information: Studio: Kino Video Aspect Ratio: Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Two versions of the film - with the original German intertitles as well as with newly-translated English intertitles. • 52-minute documentary by Luciano Berriatúa which provides a detailed account of the production and explores the filmmakers involvement in the occult. • 'Nosferatu: Historic Film Meets Digital Restoration' - a 3-minute documentary • Lengthy excerpts from other films by F.W. Murnau: Journey Into the Night (1920), The Haunted Castle (1921), Phantom (1922), The Finances of the Grand Duke (1924), The Last Laugh (1924), Tartuffe (1925), Faust (1926), and Tabu (1931) • Photo Gallery DVD Release Date: November 20th, 2007 Double Thick Keep Case Chapters: 16

Comments:

I'll try to be as concise as possible here. Kino have two versions of the film on two separate discs (with original German intertitles or with English translated Intertitles - see samples below).

Here are the similarities:

1) Both use the 2007 restoration by the F. W. Murnau-Stiftung.

2) Both are interlaced although the MoC is far less noticeable (see combing samples in very last capture).

3) Both are in the full-frame 1.33 aspect ratio for most of the film (segments appear pillarboxed).

4) Both are 2 disc packages with double thick keep cases (MoC has overlapping disc holders - Kino separate compartments).

5) Both offer the original German intertitles and both offer the Hans Erdmann score in 5.1 stereo (NOTE: Kino's first disc offers the film with English translated intertitles).

6) Supplement-wise they both give The Language of Shadows — a 53-minute German documentary by Luciano Berriatúa and both give the 3-minute short on the restoration process.

7) Both have the same running time - We suspect that the companies both made their masters from sources running at the original speed of 18 fps.

The differences:

1) The Eureka MoC disc is in the PAL standard (region 0). The Kino is in the NTSC standard (also region 0).

2) The MoC appears to have superior compression with far less artifacts than both Kino versions but the Kino tends to look sharper at times. I'm unsure why this is.

3) MoC's original German intertitle version is on a dual-layered disc sharing only with commentary. Kino original German intertitles edition (second disc) is on a single-layered edition.

4) Supplements - MoC have added a very worthwhile commentary and a gorgeous 80-page liner notes booklet. Kino added excerpts from other Murnau films and a photo gallery.

5) Contrast and color tinting can be slightly different in the two releases.

6) The MoC shows more information in the frame.

I hope we have included enough comparison captures below to help you distinguish finer point differences. I can't understand why even the single-layered Kino (disc 2 - with original German intertitles) appears sharper than the MoC (honesty it was not overly significant though on my system). I still rate the PAL version higher as a package because of the commentary and the booklet. It's a fabulous DVD set folks. I suppose many will also be very happy with the Kino - it was smart of them to provide the original as an optional disc and it does look quite good even beyond the heavier artifacts. Price isn't too different right now with the slumping U.S. greenback. I'd like to endorse both - my heart is with the wonderful Masters of Cinema package with the extras worthy of a Criterion.

Gary Tooze

Associated Reading (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Metropolis (Bfi Film Classics, 54) by Thomas Elsaesser	Movie Posters of the Silent Film Era To Color by Rex Schneider, Christopher Buchman	Family Secrets: The Feature Films of D. W. Griffith by Michael Allen	Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses by Anthony Slide	The Silent Cinema Reader by Lee Grieveson, Peter Kramer	Silent Stars Speak: Interviews With Twelve Cinema Pioneers by Tony Villecco	Haunted Screen Expressionism in the German Cinema by Lotte Eisner

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(Eureka - Masters of Cinema - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Kino Video - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Disc 2