Nosferatu (Flim)

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Essay Topic: Nosferatu (flim) This 81-minute film was made in 1922 by F.W. Murnau and was based on Stoker’s novel Dracula. Nosferatu was made during the transitional period of German Expressionism from the traditional arts into film. It is regarded as a classic example of German Expressionism. Murnau changed the characters’ names, and the location moved from London to Bremen. The film deals with so many characteristics ranging from plot/storyline, to bold artistic styles, to dealing with “intellectual” topics, to set design & location, and even character appearance. Specifically, the film’s use of mise-en-scene, its characters, and its narrative are extremely expressionistic. The film used mise-en-scenes similar to the work of Expressionist…show more content…
The Germany of 1920’s was a dismal, dark and insecure place to be in. The economy of the country was in ruins. The darkness of the movie, with the plague spreading, and nothing being done about it, reflects the darkness of German society in the times. Maybe the most significant aspect of the entire film is how it reflects what was going on during the era of the Weimar Republic because that is era during which the film was made. The Weimar Republic existed in Germany from 1919-1933. The people living under it suffered greatly. There was a massive economic crisis in which the people experienced rapid inflation, not to mention a catastrophically bad famine that killed about 750,000 people, which is an absurd number. .Nosferatu portrays the scornful attitude of the people of the 1920's towards the government of those times. When there's a plague, and citizens are being put to death, the German government does nothing about it, except withdrawing into their safe homes, vaguely inform the citizens of the plague and not to get out of their homes. In Nosferatu, there are scenes of dead people in coffins being carried down a main street in the town, which is a common sight during the famine. This movie also reflects the empowerment of women in the 1920's. During the early 1920s, women from most parts of the world were demanding for equal rights to men, in terms of employment, voting rights, etc. During the First World War, while the men were fighting, women had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities on the home front. Women demonstrated that they were equal to men, or maybe even superior. In the film when the main actress saves the day, she underlines the statement. She proves that it's not only the men who can be brave and heroic, and that women are equally as brave, and can save
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