Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 West German "re-imagining" of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror written and directed by Werner Herzog. Its original German title is Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht ("Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night"). The film is set in 19th-century Wismar, Germany and Transylvania, and it stars Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula, Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker (Mina in the book), Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker and French artist-writer Roland Topor as Renfield. Mina's friend Lucy (Martje Gortman in small role) was now called Mina.
There is also a novelization by Paul Monette.
Plot[]
In Wismar, Germany, Lucy Harker wakes screaming from a nightmare in which she sees mummified figures. Her husband Jonathan wakes and comforts her, assuring her that everything is alright.
The next morning they eat breakfast, but Jonathan leaves in a hurry, with Lucy telling him that it is not good for him and that it worries her. He departs and makes his way to his place of work, where his employer, Mr. Renfield, tells him that he has a task for him that he will not trust to anyone else. He explains that Count Dracula has sent him a letter from Transylvania declaring that he wishes to buy a house in Wismar. He tells Harker that he must travel over the Carpathian Mountains and that it will be a long and challenging journey, but he will be rewarded with a large commission. Wishing to buy a larger house for Lucy and get out of the city for a while, Harker agrees. Renfield suggests that they sell him the large house close to the Harkers', which Jonathan points out is in ruins and has been abandoned for years. Renfield says that Dracula will be able to restore it and that Jonathan must leave at once, to which he reluctantly agrees.
Jonathan returns home and Lucy is surprised that he must leave that day. She implores him not to go, telling him that she has an awful feeling that he will be in danger. He ignores this, but she asks him to spend some time with her by the sea before he leaves. He agrees, declaring that he can be blind at times. As they walk along the beach, she tells him that she has something she must say, even if he thinks it is foolish. She tells him that she can feel a force, an inner, nameless, deadly fear. Before he departs, Jonathan leaves Lucy in the care of their friends, Schrader and Mina.
Jonathan reaches Transylvania, where he stops at an inn. Later that evening, he urges the innkeeper to bring him his supper quickly, declaring that he must go Castle Dracula that night. Upon hearing this, the innkeeper's wife drops a piece of crockery and the room falls silent. The innkeeper warns Jonathan that at midnight, evil spirits are set loose and people disappear without a trace, which Jonathan dismisses as superstition. The innkeeper insists that he not go to the castle, warning that he will not find a coach that will take him there and that his own horse needs care for several days. Jonathan states that he will find another horse. The innkeeper then tells him that some of the gypsies present have been to the other side and know what awaits there.
Jonathan and the innkeeper join the gypsies at their campfire. With the innkeeper translating, one of the gypies warns Jonathan not to go to the castle, that he will have to pass a great chasm that swallows the unwary, pass towering crags and then reach the Borgo Pass, where the light suddenly divides and one land rises up towards heaven while another falls. He warns that no one has ever come back from there, as no such castle exists except perhaps in the minds of men, and that anyone who enters that land of phantoms is lost and can never return. As Jonathan prepares for bed that night, the innkeeper's wife sprinkles holy water on him, puts a crucifix around his neck and gives him a book about vampires.
The next morning, Jonathan asks a coachman to take him to the Borgo Pass, offering to pay him well. The coachman replies that there is no road to the Borgo Pass, to which a confuses Jonathan points out that it is so close that they can see it. Jonathan states asks for his coach or one of his horses, which the coachman states that he does not have, despite them being right next to him. Annoyed at the coachman's unwillingness to help him, Jonathan decides to walk. He spends the remainder of the day making his way up the mountain, but finds no castle. Late in the night, a coach approaches and Jonathan climbs in. Reaching the castle, the coach comes to a halt and the coachman points Jonathan up a stairway towards a large set of doors. The doors open on the other side awaits Count Dracula, a pale, ratlike man who welcomes Jonathan to his castle. He invites Jonathan inside, offering him food and a bed.
In the dining room, Jonathan offers Dracula the contract and floor plan of the house. Dracula pushes them aside and insists that Jonathan help himself to food and drink. He tells Jonathan that he must dine alone, for it is almost midnight and he partakes of nothing at that hour. He also states that the servants are not at their disposal, so he must attend to Jonathan's comfort. Dracula stares at Jonathan as he eats, his attention only drawn away by the sound of wolves howling, declaring that town-dwellers cannot feel empathy for the soul of a hunter. As the clock chimes midnight, Jonathan accidentally cuts his thumb with a bread knife, which immediately draws Dracula's attention. Dracula states that the knife is old and possibly dirty, hence it could give Jonathan blood poisoning. He offers to suck the blood out, to which Jonathan replies that the would is nothing to be concerned about. Dracula turns away, only to grab Jonathan's hand and pull it to his mouth, causing Jonathan to pull away. Dracula insists it is for the best before lunging at him, forcing the terrified Jonathan to back away across the room as the Count advances on him. Once they reach the fireplace, Jonathan falls into a chair, at which point Dracula invites Jonathan to sit up for a while with him, stating that it is still many hours before dawn and during the daytime he is always away. Dracula watches as Jonathan falls asleep in his chair.
In Wismar, Lucy wakes in the middle of the night and is shocked to find a bat climbing the curtains by her window.
Jonathan wakes the next morning still in the chair. Dracula is nowhere in sight and as Jonathan explores the castle, he finds it completely empty apart from himself. He finds several of the rooms to be covered in cobwebs. In his bedroom, he looks in a mirror and finds strange marks on his neck. A young boy plays a violin and while Jonathan hears the music and follows it, he is unable to find the source. As Lucy walks along the beach in solitude, Jonathn returns to his bedroom and writes for. He writes that there is no postal service from the castle, but that he will write a diary to preserve his thoughts and feelings for her. He writes that after a long and difficult journey he reaches Castle Dracula, had a bad dream the previous night that he hopes will pass and still feels weary. He then writes that everything about the castle feels strange and unreal, making him wonder if he has dreamt it.
Later that night, Jonathan meets with Dracula once again and lays out the contract. Dracula states that he no longer attaches importance to sunshine or the glittering fountains that the youth are fond of, that he loves the darkness of the shadows where he can be alone with his thoughts. Jonathan listens as Dracula tells him that he is a descendant of an oild family and that time is an abyss as deep as a thousand nights. He states that to be unale to grow old is terrible and that there are things much more horrible than death. He asks Jonathan if he can imagine enduring centuries, experiencing the same futile things each day. He expresses gratitude that Jonathan has found a nice old house for him so close to his own and asks to see the contract. Jonathan places it before him, putting his locket on the table as he does. Dracula takes the locket and sees the picture of Lucy within, commenting that she has a lovely throat. As Jonathan takes the locket back, he is shocked by how cold Dracula's hand is. Dracula declares that he will sign the contract immediately, to which Jonathan points out that they have not settled a price. Dracula declares it a small matter between gentlemen and that he will accept whatever price Jonathan considers fair. Upon signing it, Dracula asks Jonathan how long it took for him to travel there from Wismar, to which Jonathan replies that it was four weeks. Dracula comments that it takes a while to travel by land.
Once their meeting is over, Jonathan retires to his bedroom and reads the book about vampires, which states that they are born from the seed of Belial, feed on the blood of mankind and take refuge in caves, tombs and coffins filled with soil plagued by the Black Death. As Jonathan attempts to sleep that night, Dracula enters his room. Jonathan recoils in fear as the Count moves towards him and raises his clawed hands to strike. In Wismar, Lucy rises from her bed and begins to sleepwalk. She leaves the house and makes her way along the canal until Schrader catches up to her and carries her back to the house. He and Mina call upon Doctor Abraham van Helsing to examine her, though as he does the terrified Lucy cries out for Jonathan. In Transylvania, Dracula hears her call and ceases drinking blood from Jonathan's neck. Van Helsing tells Schrader and Mina that Lucy has a sudden fever and a fast pulse, advising them that she must rest and to call him at once if they think it is necessary, but that he does not think it is serious.
The next morning, Jonathan awakes in his bed with a start. He rushes through the castle, trying to find a way out, but finds all of the doors to be locked. He enters the crypt and finds Dracula sleeping with his eyes wide open inside a coffin. Horrified, he rushes back to his bedroom. That night, he looks out of his window and sees Dracula loading several black coffins onto a carriage and climbing into one himself before it departs. Realizing that Dracula is going to Wismar and Lucy is in danger, Jonathan resolves to escape from the castle. Tying several bedsheets together, he attempts to climb down the side of the castle, but it is too short and the fall knocks him unconscious. He is woken the next morning by the boy playing the violin, with Jonathan now able to see him standing over him.
Dracula's coffins travel downriver on a raft before reaching a harbor in Varna, where they are loaded onto a ship. The harbormaster finds them strange, but tells the captain that the papers are all in order. The captain reads that the coffins are filled with garden soil for botanical experiments. He orders for one to be opened to make sure and a worker opens one, finding several live rats inside. He attempts to clear them out, only for one to bite his foot. Jonathan makes his way down the mountain and is discovered by the gypsies, who take him to a Mother Superior. He tells her that the black coffins must be stopped.
As the ship travels from Varna to Wismar, Lucy sits by the beach and watches the sea. Renfield is taken to Van Helsing's asylum after biting a cow and placed in solitary confinement. He refuses food and eats only flies from an insect trap, declaring that blood is life. He attacks a guard who takes a guard who takes the trap from him and two more restrain him and place him in a straigtjacket. He tells them that he can hear the rustling of sails. Schrader and Mina visit Lucy and tell her that there has been no letter, but urge her not to worry, as post from Transylvania is very slow. She replies that she know something has happened to Jonathan and Mina urges her to have faith that God will hear their prayers. Lucy states that God is so far away from them in their hour of distress.
Despite being warned by the Mother Superior and the gypsies that he is too ill to travel, Jonathan leaves their care, intent on reaching Wismar before the black coffins. On the ship, the captain keeps a log, where the writes that the ship seems to be burdened with a curse since they left the Black Sea, with several of the crew falling ill and dying and a rumor of a stranger on board. Lucy visits Renfield in the asylum to ask him about Jonathan going missing, declaring that she is ready to travel to Transylvania herself. He urges her to stay, that the master comes. Van Helsing asks who he means and Renfield that the master of the rats comes with an army that is hungry and 40,000 strong. He laughs maniacally, causing Lucy and Van Helsing to leave. Renfield steals a newspaper from a guard's pocket when his back is turned and reads about a plague in Varna.
Onboard the ship, the captain ties himself to the steering wheel with rope, determined to complete the voyage. That night, having killed the entire crew, Dracula takes control of the ship. Several days later, it reaches Wismar and comes to a halt in the harbor. In his cell, Renfield joyously announces his master's arrival. The ship attracts the attention of the locals and several officials come onboard to inspect it. They find the dead captain tied to the steering wheel, but no other crew members, very little cargo and a hold teaming with rats. They take the captain's body to the town hall, where Van Helsing examines it and is unable to determine the cause of death. He suggests reading the captain's log, where they read about the deaths of the crew and the suspicions of the plague. Upon hearing this, they all panic and hurry towards their homes.
As his rats spread through the town, Dracula exits the ship under cover of darkness and hides his coffins in several buildings. He hides one in a church, where he is repelled by the sign of the cross. The next morning, Jonathan finally reaches Wismar by carriage. Lucy is overjoyed to see him, but faints from shock when he does not know who she is. Van Helsing is called to examine Jonathan and determines that he must have a severe brain fever. Jonathan states that the sun is hurting him and Lucy and Mina close the curtains. Lucy asks Van Helsing if he thinks it possible that they have all gone mad and will one day wake to find themselves in straitjackets.
Later that night, Dracula makes his way through the streets of Wismar and apporaches the Harker residence. Looking in the window, he sees Jonathan sitting alone while Lucy, Mina, Schrader and Van Helsing look through a book to determine what is wrong with him. As Lucy later prepares for bed, the door behind her opens and she is shocked to see Dracula's shadow on the wall, but not the Count himself. As he gets close to her, she gasps and backs away. He introducues himself to her and she replies that she knows of him from Jonathan's diary and that since being with him, Jonathan is ruined. Dracula replies that he will not die and Lucy replies that he will, for Death is overwhelming and they are all at his command. He tells her that it is crueler to be unable to die and that he wishes he could partake of the love that exists between her and Jonathan. She replies that nothing in the world, not even God, can touch that, even if Jonathan never recognises her again. Dracula tells her that he can change all of that if she joins him, that the absense of love is the most abject pain. She tells him that salvation comes from oneself alone and that she is not afraid to think the unthinkable. She reveals the crucifix around her neck, which repels him, and she bids him good night as he leaves.
The next day, Renfield slips out of his cell, locks a guard inside and escapes from the asylum. Lucy reads Jonathan's book about vampires. As she reads aloud, Jonathan lets out an unsettling laugh. She continues reading, learning that the sign of the cross casts him out, sunlight destroys him, a consecrated host can bar his retreat and if a woman pure of heart can cause him to forget the crow of the cock, the first light of day will destroy him. Later that night, Renfield meets with Dracula, who commands him to go north to Riga, as the army of rats and the Black Death are with him. Renfield enthusiastically agrees and goes to carry out his master's order.
The next day, Lucy finds men carrying many coffins through the town. She tells one that she must go to the town council, but he replies that it has been dissolved. She says that she must see the mayor, to which the man replies that he is dead and that she must go home as quickly as she can. She tells them that she know the reason for the evil plaguing the town and chastises them for not listening to her. She tells Van helsing what she knows about Dracula, but he dismisses it as a figment of her imagination. She points out all of the evidence and he declares he belief to be superstition refuted by science. She declares her certainty and implores him to help her destroy the monster. He insists that she take time to recover so that they may discover to true cause of the problem and she determines that she must destroy the monster alone, showing Van Helsing the door. She strokes Jonathan's head, and he first mistakes her for the Mother Superior before asking how he came to make her acquaintance, which causes her to shed tears.
That night, Lucy follows the rats to an abandoned building, where she finds one of Dracula's coffins. Pushing it open, she begs God to forgive her before placing communion wafer inside of it. As she makes her way home, she passes through the town square and is perplexed to find it in a state of celebration, with people dancing and playing music. She approaches a table where several people are dining and they invite her to join them, explaining that they have all caught the plague and are making them most of the time they have left.
The next morning, Lucy is woken by a maid banging on her front door. The maid tells her to come to the Schrader residence, as something terrible has happened. Upon arriving, Lucy finds Mina dead with two puncture wounds on her neck. Van Helsing tells her that it is certainly not the plague. Lucy asks what happened and Van Helsing tells her that Schrader found Mina dead that morning and lost his mind. He states that the matter will be explored with scientific thorougness, without superstition or prejudice. Lucy declares that she has had enough of his science and now knows what she must do. She returns home and prepares herself for what lies ahead, sprinkling communion wafer around Jonathan's chair.
That night, Dracula watches the Harker residence from his new home. Making his way across, he enters the house and find Lucy lying alone in the bedroom. Kennling next to her, he lifts up the bottom of her nightgown to expose her legs. She pulls him up towards her and he places one hand on her breast and another on her head as he sinks his fangs into her neck. As the night continues, he sucks blood from her wound. Eventually, he senses the dawn approaching and attempts to leave, but she pulls him down towards her and he continues to feed. Once morning arrives, he hears the crow of a rooster and the toll of a church bells. Standing up, he approaches the window and is exposed to the sunlight, which send him into a state of shock and causes him to collapse and convulse on the floor. Her task complete, Lucy smiles in satisfaction before she succumbs.
Locals surround the Harker residence as Van Helsing enters and examines the scene. Realizing that Lucy was right, he chides himself for not listening to her before. He resolves to fetch a stake and a hammer to destroy Dracula forever. Once he had obtained them, he returns to the Harker residence, where Jonathan warns him not to do it. Van Helsing ignores this, makes his way upstairs and drives the stake through Dracula's heart, causing Jonathan to clutch his chest in pain.
Jonathan calls for help and tells the official who arrives that Van Helsing has murdered the Count. Seeing him carring a blood stake, the official asks if this is true. Van Helsing replies that it is, but that there was an urgent reason for doing so. The offical states that the court will decide this and declares Van Helsing under arrest. He order his clerk to arrest Van helsing, but the clerk states that he has never made an arrest. The official tells him to get the police, but the clerk says that they are dead and gone. The official order him to take Van Helsing to the prison and the clerk says that there is nobody there to guard him anymore and that he is unarmed and therefore cannot arrest him. As they take Van Helsing away, he asks where they will take him, to which the clerk replies that he wonders himself.
Once they have gone, Jonathan tells the maid to clean the communion wafer sprinkled on the floor. She does so and he steps from behind it. Now with steepled fingernails and ratlike teeth, Jonathan tears the locket from his neck and orders the maid to seal the bedroom for the official investigation and bring him his horse, for he has much to do. He then rides into the distance, clad all in black.
Cast[]
- Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula
- Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker
- Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker
- Roland Topor as Renfield
- Walter Ladengast as Dr. Abraham van Helsing
- Dan van Husen as Warden
- Jan Groth as Harbormaster
- Carsten Bodinus as Schrader
- Martje Grohmann as Mina
- Ryk de Gooyer as Town Official
- Clemens Scheitz as Clerk
- Lo van Hensbergen as Harbormaster's Assistent
- John Leddy as Coachman
- Margiet van Hartingsveld as Vrouw
- Tim Beekman as Coffinbearer
- Jacques Dufilho as Captain
- Werner Herzog as Hand and Feet in Box with Rats (uncredited)
- Attila Árpa as Violinist Boy (uncredited)
Animal cruelty[]
In 2010, Dutch behavioral biologist Maarten 't Hart, hired by Herzog for his expertise of laboratory rats, revealed in the TV program Zomergasten, that after witnessing the way in which the rats were treated, he no longer wished to cooperate. Apart from travelling conditions that were so poor that the rats, imported from Hungary, had started to eat each other upon arrival in the Netherlands, Herzog insisted the plain white rats be dyed gray. In order to do so, according to 't Hart, the cages containing the rats needed to be submerged in boiling water for several seconds, causing another half of them to die. The surviving rats proceeded to lick themselves clean of the dye immediately, as Hart had predicted they would. Hart also implies sheep and horses that appear in the movie were treated very poorly, but does not specify this any further. In the TV program, he called Herzog´s behavior "immoral".