Some nights at a film festival are easier than others for a reviewer. Case in point, the Milwaukee Film Festival screened NOSFERATU A SYMPHONY OF HORROR on its largest screen with live accompaniment was instantly a must see for me. What’s anyone going to say about a 100+ year old classic, even if there’s a recent remake to compare and contrast to, except that it’s terrific.
If you haven’t seen NOSFERATU A SYMPHONY OF HORROR, it seems a little strange to me that you’re reading this review unless you thought this was a review of the Robert Eggers or Werner Herzog films. But, let’s get the basics out of the way. NOSFERATU A SYMPHONY OF HORROR is an unauthorized version of Dracula by groundbreaking, German Expressionist filmmaker F. W. Murnau. Coming on the heels of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, it’s a visually striking film that’s been remade multiple times, plus had a whole homage to in SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE. It’s so visually striking that it’s the only Dracula film that filmmakers want to remake rather than top.
Somehow, with the recent remake still fresh in mind, it’s found a way to resonate throughout history. It’s escaped being destroyed when Bram Stoker’s widow sued everyone involved in its unauthorized production despite copyright. It’s worth noting that its preoccupation with plague found fresh relevancy in light of Covid. Ellen / Nina, depending upon your intertitles, is one of the earliest heroines of cinema, taking it into her own hands to save the day, at enormous sacrifice, and that ending still works. And Max Schreck is still an extremely memorable image / performance.
But, what gave NOSFERATU urgency on this screening was being able to see it in one of the best places in the world to see silent movies, the Oriental Theatre, almost as old as NOSFERATU, and seeing it accompanied by the Anvil Orchestra. There’s enough different versions of NOSFERATU floating around, you probably have one in your basement, that it’s always a somewhat pleasant surprise to see which one shows up. This version was essentially the version that said “to hell with it, we’re doing Dracula and using all the names.” Beyond that, it’s a treat to hear an original score, this was my first time hearing it, and it’s heavy on strings, or at least the synthesized version of them, and percussion. I don’t think anyone was actually playing a saw, but it sure sounded like that at times. It was a score that was heavy on atmosphere and ambient, eerie sounds, and it was a very good accompaniment.
The 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival runs from April 24, 2025 until May 8, 2025. NOSFERATU A SYMPHONY OF HORROR had its one and only screening at the festival. However, tickets to many other films can be purchased at MKEFILM.ORG.
