Dir: E. Elias Merhige. Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Eddie Izzard, Udo Kier, Catherine McCormack, Cary Elwes.
I can’t remember how many films I’ve walked out of at the end thinking that they were pretty good, but just too long, that some subplots just weren’t needed, that certain lingering shots were just pointless. But Shadow of the Vampire is an exercise in concise film making. Every moment is captivating, no scene is unneeded, and it was refreshing to walk out of a film without having a single critical thought in my mind. It’s just damn good, intelligent cinema, and that’s all you should need to know.
Based on the making of F.W. Murnau’s classic horror Nosferatu, Shadow of the Vampire tells of the filming of the movie with one fictional twist – Max Shreck, the actor playing Count Orlock (Nosferatu) in the film, is actually a vampire, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it isn’t long before the crew start disappearing. But this is far more than just another post-Scream post-modern slasher movie. It’s a study of obsession, of greed and desire, darkly comical at times but always unnerving. It’s beautifully shot, a mixture of black and white recreated film shots and colour off camera footage, and packed with sumptuous performances too. From Malkovich’s obsessive director, Izzard’s leading man to Elwes gung-ho cinematographer, no one seems out of place here. But it’s Willem Dafoe who really shines, almost unrecognisable under much make up, turning in an amazing performance, a desperate, deranged animalistic creature who can barely control his desires, but who still manages at the same time to be sympathetic. And If Dafoe fails to win the Oscar for best supporting actor, it’ll be a shocking travesty of justice.
So whilst it may not be exactly a terrifying horror film, it’s fantastically deranged, and certainly unsettling, and the ending is just perfect, forcing the audience to question who is the real monster, and who is just a victim of circumstance. So do whatever you have to, but see this film on the big screen as soon as you can.
Alex Finch.
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