Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
Overview
Director F.W. Murnau makes a Faustian pact with a vampire to get him to star in his 1922 film "Nosferatu."
Cast
John Malkovich
F. W. Murnau
Willem Dafoe
Max Schreck
Udo Kier
Albin Grau
Cary Elwes
Fritz Arno Wagner
Catherine McCormack
Greta Schröder
Eddie Izzard
Gustav von Wangenhein
Aden Gillett
Henrik Galeen
Ronan Vibert
Wolfgang Müller
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John Chard
Did I kill one of your people, Murnau? I can't remember.
F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is filming Nosferatu (1922), but isn't reclusive star Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe) taking his role of the vampire way too seriously?
In some ways it's a curate's egg of a film. It certainly helps if you are a lover of old classic film and have some knowledge of the source material at the film's core. It's a fabulous concept that the screenplay is based around, that the star of the film may actually be a real vampire, and the whole production is executed with consummate skill (Dafoe was deservedly Oscar nominated as were make-up artists Ann Buchanan & Amber Sibley). But come the end it fizzles out and proves to not have delivered on its devilishly intriguing premise. Fun, though, and tech credits all round keep one well involved. 6/10
