Shadow of the Vampire (2000) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Catherine McCormack, Eddie Izzard, Cary Elwes and Udo Kier. Written by Steven Katz. Directed by E. Elias Merhige. Rated R.
The conceit of Shadow of the Vampire is intriguing: Legendary German film director W.R. Murnau hires an actual vampire to star in his production of Nosferatu, but passes him off to his film company as Max Schreck, a method actor who lives the role of the evil bloodsucker.
Writer Steven Katz and director E. Elias Merhige have used the filming of Murnauís 1922 groundbreaking horror film to examine the obsession of the artist and the magic of filmmaking.
Murnau (John Malkovich) is passionate about truth in his movies, and he has decided to film the most horrific feature ever made.
Undeterred by the refusal of the rights to Dracula by Bram Stokerís widow, Murnau carries on, changing the name of his vampire and moving the setting to Bremen, Germany, instead of London.
Always the perfectionist, Murnau takes his crew and cast on location to shoot. There the fun begins as Schreck ó lured into the role by Murnau's promise that at the end of filming he may dine on the movie's leading lady ó begins feeding off cast and crew much to Murnauís displeasure.
It is not the lives he's concerned about, itís the loss of valuable people he needs to complete his project. Plus Schreck had promised Murnau he would control his blood lust until the last frame was filmed.
Malkovich is fun to watch as Murnau. Wide-eyed, obsessive, his focus is solely on making his movie. When Schreck kills his cameraman, Murnau berates him for jeopardizing the project. The death of the cinematographer has put the film behind schedule because Murnau must take time off to hire a replacement.
Willem Dafoe gives a tour-de-force performance as Schreck. Unrecognizable under heavy makeup, Dafoe gives rein to the theatrics one would expect from a hammy vampire seeking his own brand of immortality.
Dafoe also manages to bring a bit of humanity to his monster as, in one scene, he explains to the filmís producer and writer the loneliness of having lived for centuries. We know he is speaking from the heart, they applaud his passion for staying in character and method acting.
Dafoe is flamboyant, comical and mesmerizing as Schreck. He dismisses Murnauís protests with a casual wave of his hand and continues on his own course, knowing that Murnau is too maniacal, too hungry for glory to shut down the production. Others in the cast include Eddie Izzard as Gustav, the male lead in Nosferatu who is simultaneously afraid of and in awe of Schreck; Catherine McCormack as the prime donna leading lady who is the unknowing object of Schreckís desire; Udo Kier as Murnauís exasperated producer; and Gary Elwes as the world-weary cinematographer.
At 93 minutes, Shadow of the Vampire speeds along to its apocalyptic conclusion. Murnau gets his picture, but at a dear price. As for Schreck ó well, youíll have to buy a ticket for that answer.
Shadow of the Vampire is a most entertaining feature, filled with satire, humor and some horror. The cinematography captures the bleak landscape of Murnauís tableau, while the black-and-white scenes seen through Murnauís camera as he films his Nosferatu recreate the stylistic manner of the original production.
This is a movie that is a film buffís delight. It is witty, intelligent and unusual ó a most gratifying experience.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette. Other reviews by Bloom can be found on the Web at the Internet Movie Database: http:.//www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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