Nosferatu response

      I am always fascinated by silent movies, primarily because since they lack the component of speech the actors must work that much harder to convey their intentions, emotions, and thought processes. Being a film major, I have watched several silent movies and they never fail to amaze me. As in some other silent movies, I found Nosferatu to be a wonderfully crafted true horror piece. It is true that most silent movies use overacting to an extreme, however when we step back and remember that facial expressions and large physical gestures are the main tools the actors from the silent period had, we start to realize that they used those techniques to enhance their performances and the theatricality of the entire production.
      In the beginning of the film we see Harker's smiling face as he greets his young wife, and as we proceed through the film we look back on that carefree face and remember how quickly lives can change. However, in that smile, as Harker looks at his wife, I also saw a graphic match to Renfield's evil smile as he sends Harker away to Count Dracula's castle. I found it interesting how a smile can be either happy and comforting or creepy and terrifying. Again, as Renfield tells Harker to go work for the Count he and Harker are smiling at each other and Renfield pats his hand. Or, at least, he would be patting his hand except for the fact that he is actually hitting his hand in a frighteningly aggressive way. After the first 10 minutes alone we get the feeling, through odd behaviors such as an entire tavern falling silent at Count Dracula's name, that in a seemingly ordinary and harmless world there is an evil that lingers in the dark and stays underground.
      Count Dracula, appearing as a tall, thin, sickly-looking figure, is himself secretive and creepy. The thing that kept me on edge as I watched him was how he would do something abnormal and strange, like sucking on Harker's cut, and then seemingly friendly offer him a chair so they could talk for a while. In my mind Dracula resembled Shakespeare's Richard III; he acts normal and odd, but friendly, and then turns around and kills everyone. By the time people realize what is going on it's too late and he has accomplished his mission. I think that what scared me most about his character was how Max Schreck, who played the Count, walked deliberately, but slowly and with long strides. This gives me the impression that there is no use in running from him since he will always catch up to you and take you for his own. Certainly the make up, such as the dark circles around the eyes, the pointed ears, and the long, claw-like fingers added to his horrific monster appearance. However, Schreck's use of his eyes, big and bulbous to accentuate his nocturnal lifestyle, combined with his stalking pace, claw-like hands, and stiff-as-a-board posture brought the life-draining "disease" to life, making it feel like he would come out of the film and into the world we live in, waiting around every corner for his unsuspecting prey.