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

[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.