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This film is about a director directing a director directing a film. Inception much? Here, lets put it this way: E. Elias Merhige is directing F.W. Murnau directing his landmark horror film, Nosferatu. But of course, it is a fictionalized account and stylishly done. I consider Nosferatu to be the greatest horror film ever made, hands down. Not only it laid down all the blueprints of horror, but still to this day stays true to the term. When I heard about this film, I just had to see it. The mix of both real and fiction intrigued me a lot and I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the film. Just like Nosferatu, Shadow of the Vampire is also a cool title, adding mystery and curiosity to it. The film was like a great gift to me since I love Nosferatu a lot. I finally got to see the "behind the scenes" and yes, I know, I know, it's mostly fiction, but at least I have an idea now, a picture.
Changing tracks, I've seen a-many vampire movies but believe me, none had the screen power and dominance as Max Schreck, the guy who played the original Nosferatu back in 1922. His performance was flawless right down to the core. Perfection unmatched. The only one who comes this close is Bela Lugosi. After watching this film, I think we have a new contender: Willem Dafoe. His take on the character was chillingly unnerving. It actually made me jump from my skin because of his uncut originality and frightening nature. He was perfect and outstanding in his character. Modern performances don't stand a chance against him. But the main highlight has to be John Malkovich as F.W. Murnau. Granted, he never was in my top 20, or even top 50, but I guess I have to keep a wary eye on him in future films. His maniacal stare and easy flow of poetry made him arguably the best performance of the film and, by definition, one of the greatest ever. I don't know whether I'm right or not, but John Malkovich played two personalities at once: The man and the monster. And he handled both with a majestic flair. The movements, the lines, everything was convincing. Impressive right down to boot. Malkovich should star in more film like these!
In all, Shadow of the Vampire is no doubt a master of a film. Honestly, it felt like a very long, demented orchestra in motion, and I enjoyed it right to the last note, the last chime, the last bell. Can be used as a good gateway to the yesteryear's cinema!
8.5/10
