Wouldst thou like to die deliciously?

[bleodswean]

 
Let's talk about Egger's women. Let's discuss the female characters in Nosferatu and how Eggers portrays them, what they represent, and how we should view them in the vampire mythos, Stoker's Dracula, and the legacy of the Nosferatu films that came before.

Comments

[smokingboot]

Noferatu 24: I guess if I was to look at tarot depictions, Anna's the Empress while Ellen is the High Priestess. Anna has tamed her world and lives in the light of a loving god. She's got Friedrich enraptured, and from a 'rutting goat' as Thomas described him, has helped him become a doting father to their daughters. Anna can adapt to the world or gently make the world adapt to her and be happy. She's so kind and compassionate (prerequisites for traditional heroines, it seems; they must nurture and they must care.) Ellen... Ellen is something else. What is highlighted about her is her sensitivity to other 'lower' powers. Both of these women are connected to sex, Anna as a life-giving joyful force, Ellen as a vessel for hunger and satiety. Carnality and spirituality are locked together in each.

The 'new woman' is lost in all this. In the book, Mina is smart; she's the one who puts together clippings, news reports etc. In FFC's version, Mina is still crisply curious. Nosferatu 24 has nothing to do with woman as intellect. In the end, this is all about feelings, a reality in which the rational simply means nothing. The nearest we have to scientific involvement is Von Franz, a genius maverick. He's very kind and knowledgeable but given his moment in the burning crypt, it could be argued that he's a bit nuts himself. So it may not be a case of intellect free women, more that of intellect free people when faced with the unfathomable. But I don't know.

[erimia]

I think the Eggers' movie is all about the irrational and unconscious, that's why his characters are like that. Like, "your intellect won't save you here". Which, I suppose, fits the themes of all the Nosferatu movies.

[earthspirits]

Response to erimia:

I so agree, and perfectly put.

Every Eggers film I've seen delves deeply into the irrational and the subconscious. Of course, that's why I enjoy his films (one of the reasons, anyway).

[earthspirits]

Response to smokingboot:

I love that you've connected Anna and Ellen to the Tarot. Each card you chose for them perfectly illustrates their characters, and your description of all is spot-on.

As you say, FFC's depiction of Mina is much closer to the original novel.

And I agree that this film is all about feelings and the subconscious, including psychic visions. I think it's a theme that runs through all of Eggers' films.

As for von Franz - I love the guy (as eccentric intellectual male characters are my jam), but yeah, he's pretty wild in the burning crypt scene.

If I had to pick a Tarot card to represent him, I'd go with The Magician, as his character is knowledgable and creative, always seeking to understand and explain the irrational.

Of course, Orlok would be Death.

[earthspirits]

(continued)


What of the nude young woman astride the white horse?

Another interesting spin on the "Death and The Maiden" motif, and a fore-shadowing of the final scene of the film.

I did a bit of research on this scene. In Eastern European folklore, horses are thought to be sensitive to the supernatural, and thus, if led around a graveyard, would able to sense the presence of a vampire. If the horse jumped over the grave, there was no vampire. But if it refused - then the grave held an undead. And the vampire hunters would pounce.

The presence of a virgin was said to enhance the effect, as a virgin would recoil from evil. Also, the undead would be attracted to the virgin's purity and innocence, and could thus be lured from its grave and destroyed.

As for the young woman's nudity...this is classic Eggers. He uses quite a bit of nudity in his films (male and female), for artistic effect, and I suspect, also for titillation.

[smokingboot]

This is fantastic info, thanks for sharing it!

[earthspirits]

You're welcome! : )

[earthspirits]

(continued)


Why does Eggers choose to remove The Brides from his tale?

The original Nosferatu also removed the Brides - likely hoping to avoid any lawsuits (which, of course, they didn't).

I think Eggers left them out for a different reason. His Orlok is a solitary being who claims to feel no love, only appetite. Thus, it makes the plot all the more compelling, that this selfish insular creature becomes utterly obsessed with Ellen.

Ellen, with her terrifying trances and dreams, is a strange ethereal character on her own and the heart of the film. Including the Brides might have taken away from that.

[smokingboot]

I can certainly see Von Franz as the Magician, even in reverse. He's just so clever!
Agree totally about Orlok.

[bleodswean]

Oooooh!!! Love this and hope you expand. Do them all! Hutter - Hanged Man?

[earthspirits]

Big tarot fan here, so I'm loving this too!

Thomas as the Hanged Man certainly fits.

[smokingboot]

I'll try to make a list :-)

Very kind of you to encourage me

[smokingboot]

Did the major arcana, fun, but not as straightforward as I thought it would be.