He catches a bat flying past him and eats it alive. A fellow actor cuts his finger during a scene; he lunges and sucks the blood. He works only at night, never appears in daylight. He plays the lead role in this movie within a movie. He plays himself -- vampire.

Bram Stoker published Dracula in 1897, but Stoker's undead, blood-sucking creature of the night still grips the human imagination and thousands of literary and theatrical throats. This horror classic spawned hundreds of books, movies and TV shows (e.g., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000) throughout the 20th and into the 21st century.

Shadow of the Vampire adds another twist to this horror story. An actual vampire portrays himself in the first (and creepiest) vampire movie, Nosferatu. The renowned German film director, F.W. Murnau, actually filmed this masterpiece in 1922, during the silent movie era. Unable to obtain the film rights from Stoker's widow, Murnau changed the title Dracula to Nosferatu (meaning "the undead," "the unclean") and renamed the ghoul Count Orlok.

In the 1922 film, actor Max Schreck played Nosferatu, creating a ghastly and grotesque vampire far surpassing any subsequent Dracula. Schreck's macabre performance lends credence to the premise in Shadow of the Vampire that Murnau, unknown to his crew and actors, hired the "real thing." John Malkovich's Murnau tells his team the actor's technique involves fully immersing himself in a role for the entire shoot, thus always appearing to them in character. Murnau enters into a demonic agreement with his "leading man," sacrificing human life for Art. As the shooting progresses, fact and fiction converge until reality prevails, leading to a horrific outcome.

Willem Dafoe portrays the vampire with an eerie performance rivaling Schreck's. (Dafoe received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work in this role February 13). Makeup turns Dafoe into Schreck's twin, with yellowed skin, bat-wing ears, two huge front teeth (forget the fang incisors), heavy-lidded eyes and hands with four-inch nails. Dafoe also captures Schreck's body movements and facial expressions in the original Nosferatu. Dafoe affects a permanent scowl, bulges and rolls his eyes, waves his claw-like hands gracefully in front of his chest and lunges toward his unfortunate victims. Dafoe's Nosferatu glides rather than walks. He hops around in anticipation when he meets his most desired victim. His happiness reveals the unholy. His grief bares a tortured soul.

The vampire, however, inspires sympathy. He is what he is. His nature dooms him to loneliness.

Malkovich's Murnau turns out to be the real villain. He fulfills his artistic vision at any cost. His arrogance and egoism ultimately lead to tragedy.

Despite a weak ending, Shadow of the Vampire offers an imaginative view of the vampire legend. Still, one wonders, was the contract between Murnau and the vampire written in blood? And if so, whose?

Lynn I. Miller

Click here to read Jennifer Matarese's review of Shadow of the Vampire.
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