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I Struggled with ‘Nosferatu’
This silent film is incredible, but my 2024 self had a hard time with it.
Count Orlok (Max Schreck) is a mysterious figure who is interested in buying a new home. When Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) goes to finalize the deal, he realizes that there’s more to Orlok than meets the eye.
I watched this because Robert Egger’s Nosferatu is coming out later this year. I know the films will be vastly different, but it’s fun to revisit the original film before seeing the remake. Plus, this is an absolute classic, so it was about time I saw this.
While watching, I was distinctly aware of the fact that I am living in 2024, and this was made in 1922. I was amazed that this film exists and that we have a copy that can be streamed today. You can tell the immense talent that went into making something like this over 100 years ago. I’m amazed at humanity’s ingenuity!
In the grand scheme of history, 1922 isn’t that long ago. It was a little over 100 years ago — there are people alive today who were alive in 1922! And yet, our world has changed so much over the last 100 years. Technology has advanced so rapidly and shaped how we live, which I think made watching this film a little difficult for me.
