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Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (Germany, 1922) by F. W. Murnau.
The Auteur Cinema Archive streams on Whush.com
F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu Joins the Auteur Cinema Archive
The Auteur Cinema Archive is honored to welcome Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922, Germany) by F.W. Murnau—an undisputed cornerstone of horror cinema and a defining example of early auteur filmmaking. Shot during the silent era and steeped in the visual language of German Expressionism, Nosferatu is a haunting, unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with Max Schreck’s terrifying portrayal of Count Orlok etching itself into the very DNA of cinematic horror.
Set in 1838, the story follows the journey of Thomas Hutter to the eerie castle of Count Orlok in Transylvania. What begins as a business trip soon turns into a descent into supernatural dread, as Orlok’s interest in Hutter’s wife Ellen unleashes a plague upon their town. Ellen ultimately sacrifices herself to stop the vampire, seducing him with her own blood until the sun rises and destroys him. The film ends with Orlok’s annihilation and the dissolution of his cursed castle—images as unforgettable as they are mythic.
Curator Kris De Meester reflects on the film’s lasting power:
“Nosferatu was born in the shadows—legally, financially, aesthetically—and yet it casts one of the longest in cinema history. Murnau’s vision is more than just an adaptation; it’s a poetic, nightmarish reimagining of horror, told in chiaroscuro. The raw visual inventiveness and emotional symbolism mark it as the work of a true auteur.”
Despite legal battles with Stoker’s widow that nearly eradicated all prints, Nosferatu survived and became one of the most influential films ever made. From its angular mise-en-scène to the eerie stillness of Schreck’s vampiric presence, it set the visual and narrative template for generations of horror films. Its expressionist roots and psychological depth elevate it beyond genre, making it as much a study of fear and mortality as it is a tale of the undead.
By enshrining Nosferatu in the Archive, we recognize not just a horror milestone, but a film that expanded the cinematic language itself—shaping how stories could be told in silence, in shadow, and in metaphor.