Count Orlok

Last updated
Count Orlok
Nosferatu character
Max Schreck as Count Orlok in Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).jpg
Max Schreck as Count Orlok
First appearance Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Created by F. W. Murnau
Albin Grau
Based on Count Dracula by Bram Stoker
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Aliases
Species Vampire
GenderMale
NationalityRomanian

Count Orlok (German : Graf Orlok; Romanian : Contele Orlok) is a fictional character who originally appeared in the silent film Nosferatu (1922) directed by F. W. Murnau, as well as its subsequent remakes, which is based on Bram Stoker's character Count Dracula. [1] [2] In the original 1922 film Count Orlok is portrayed by German actor Max Schreck.

Contents

Name

The 1922 film is an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula , thus character names were changed in an attempt to avoid accusations of copyright infringement, including changing Count Dracula's name to Count Orlok which, according to historian Matei Cazacu  [ ro ], derives from the Romanian vârcolac , [3] while David Annwn Jones links it phonetically to ordog . [4] However, the character is referred to as Dracula in the public domain version of the film.[ citation needed ]

In Werner Herzog's 1979 remake, Nosferatu the Vampyre , the character names revert to those used in the original novel, [5] while the 2023 and 2024 remakes maintain the names used in the original 1922 film. In the 1988 sequel to the 1979 film, Vampire in Venice , the character is referred to as "Nosferatu".

Fictional character biography

In Nosferatu , Count Orlok is a vampire from Transylvania known as the "Bird of Death" [6] who feasts upon the blood of living humans. He is believed to have been some sort of black magician, transformed into a vampire by Belial, the lieutenant demon of Satan. [7] Orlok dwells alone in a vast castle hidden among the rugged peaks in a lost corner of the Carpathian Mountains. The castle and its master, forgotten by the world for centuries, are swathed in shadows and exhibit a highly sinister feel due to years of neglect. The local peasants live in terror of phantoms and werewolves haunting the region and never venture out after dark.

Orlok is in league with the housing agent Knock and wants to purchase a house in the (fictional) city of Wisborg, Germany. Thomas Hutter ventures to the decrepit castle; however, the coach-driver will not take him over the bridge leading to it. A black-swathed figure in a black coach (Orlok in disguise) drives him the rest of the way. He is greeted by Orlok, who claims that as it is past midnight, all his servants have gone to bed. The two dine together and discuss Orlok's purchasing of the aforementioned house. [8] Hutter accidentally cuts his thumb when slicing bread and Orlok is barely able to control himself from drinking from Hutter's wound. After Hutter collapses in a chair, Orlok feeds off him, but this is not shown on screen: Hutter discovers two bites on his neck the next day but attributes them to mosquitoes, unaware at this point that his host is a vampire.

Hutter realizes the horrific truth about his host too late and discovers that he is trapped in the castle with the Nosferatu. Orlok advances upon Hutter, and Hutter's beloved wife, Ellen, senses through telepathy that her husband's life is in mortal danger; she screams for him, and somehow Orlok senses her presence and loses interest in Hutter before leaving the room. The next morning, Hutter searches the castle and discovers, to his revulsion, that Orlok is "sleeping" in the basement in a filthy coffin filled with earth. Hutter then witnesses Orlok loading a cart with several coffins filled with soil, one of which he then hides in, and they are driven off to be loaded onto a ship headed for Wisborg. This soil is later revealed to be unhallowed earth from Orlok's own grave; according to The Book of the Vampires, the Nosferatu must sleep by day in the unholy earth from their graves to sustain their power.

On board the ship, he kills every crew member until only the captain and his first mate remain. Later, when the first mate goes to the cargo hold to investigate, Count Orlok rises from his coffin, terrifying the first mate, who jumps overboard in fear. The captain ties himself to the wheel of the ship, and then Count Orlok creeps up on him and kills him. His journey by sea spreads plague throughout Europe. [9]

Upon his arrival in Wisborg, Orlok infests the city with rats that sleep in his coffins, and countless people fall victim to the plague, forcing the local authorities to declare a quarantine and provoking hysteria among the citizens. Rather than come back as vampires, however, his victims simply die. Ellen and Hutter know the causes of the plague but fear they are powerless to stop the vampire. Ellen watches sullenly as lines of coffins are carried through the empty streets, and she realises Orlok must be stopped. Ellen learns from The Book of the Vampires that, rather than a stake through the heart, the Nosferatu can be vanquished only if a woman pure in heart willingly allows him to feed on her long enough to prevent him from seeking shelter from sunrise. Ellen coaxes Orlok to her room and lies in bed whilst he drinks from her neck. The sun rises, and Orlok is burned away in a cloud of smoke. Knock is able to sense that Orlok is dead. Ellen dies soon after.

Characterization

This vampire is someone millions can identify with. He personifies the mingled sadness and desire of people who want to kill themselves because they can't live without physical and spiritual love.

Klaus Kinski [10]

The character was largely conceived by Prana Film founder and occultist artist Albin Grau. Grau claimed he was inspired to shoot Nosferatu after meeting a farmer during the Serbian campaign, who stated that his father was a vampire. [11] [12] Grau had a strong influence on Orlok's verminous and emaciated look, [13] which may have been modeled on the corpses he saw in the trenches of the First World War. Further links to the war have been noticed in Orlok's association with rats, a persistent niusance in the trenches, and the character suddenly appearing enveloped in thick smoke, which has been linked to the poison gas used during the conflict. [12] Grau also had the character correspond with Knock through letters filled with Enochian, hermetic and alchemical symbols. [13] The character was played by Max Schreck, whose military experiences during the First World War have been thought to have influenced his performance. [12] His portrayal of Orlok was the first to depict vampires as being fatally vulnerable to sunlight. Previous vampire portrayals had shown them being uncomfortable with sunlight, but not mortally susceptible. [14] Some authors have compared Orlok's appearance to stereotypical caricatures of Jewish people from the time in which Nosferatu was produced. His features have also been compared to those of a rat or a mouse, the former of which Jews were often equated with. [15] Others have said that perceived associations between Orlok and antisemitic stereotypes are unlikely to have been conscious decisions, citing director F. W. Murnau's protectiveness of Jewish cast members and status as a homosexual, which would have made him "presumably more sensitive to the persecution of a subgroup inside the larger German society". [16] [17]

Prosthetics used by Klaus Kinski for Nosferatu the Vampyre at the Filmmuseum Dusseldorf Duesseldorf Filmuseum Nosferatu Kinski ohren.jpg
Prosthetics used by Klaus Kinski for Nosferatu the Vampyre at the Filmmuseum Düsseldorf

The character was portrayed by Klaus Kinski in Werner Herzog's 1979 remake Nosferatu the Vampyre . Herzog described this incarnation as "not a monster, but an ambivalent, masterful force of change. When the plague threatens, people throw their property into the streets; they discard their bourgeois trappings. A re‐evaluation of life and its meaning takes place." [18] Kinski described him as "a man without free will. He cannot choose, and he cannot cease to be. He is a kind of incarnation of evil, but he is also a man who is suffering, suffering for love. This makes it so much more dramatic, more double‐edged." [18] Kinski's make-up was an imitation of Max Schreck's in the 1922 original and was applied by Japanese artist Reiko Kruk. Although Kinski fought with Herzog and others during the making of other films, he got along with Kruk, and the four-hour makeup sessions proceeded without any outbursts from Kinski himself. [19] Kinski's portrayal was praised by Roger Ebert, who wrote that there is "nothing pleasant about Herzog's vampire", which was "played totally without ego by Klaus Kinski ... [who] does honor to the seriousness of vampires. ... if they were real, here is how they must look", [20] while Fabio Giovannini  [ it ] describes Kinski's portrayal as "without doubt, the most repugnant vampire in cinematic history". [21]

In the 1988 pseudo-sequel to the 1979 remake, Vampire in Venice , the vampire, played by Kinski once again, is portayed as a "Byronic hero" seeking death by engaging in intercourse with a virgin woman who loves him. The film includes several innovations in the vampire myth, showing the monster as being able to walk around in daylight, cast a reflection in mirrors and is undeterred by crosses. [22] Kinski initially refused to shave his head and wear fake fangs for the role, though conceded and wore Orlok's traditional rat-like fangs for several scenes. [23] Matthew Edwards stated that "Kinski paints his sadistic vampire with a sneering disgust for those around him", [24] while Roberto Curti stated that Kinski's performance "drowns the film". [25]

Orlok was played by Doug Jones in the 2023 remake. In an interview with Dread Central , he stated: "I don't think Orlok realizes how much he's faded. In his mind, he's still the dashing count he once was, and that dichotomy fascinated me". His makeup was restricted to his face and hands, and took four hours to apply. Regarding his portrayal, Jones said: "The farther you get from human, the harder it is to play, ... Orlok's humanity is still there, buried under layers of torment and hunger. That's where the real performance comes from—his desires, regrets, and fears". [26]

Bill Skarsgård played Orlok in Robert Eggers' 2024 remake. Skarsgård was originally set to play Thomas Hutter, but Eggers decided to cast him as Orlok after seeing his performance as Pennywise in It Chapter Two . Eggers' intention was to distance his Orlok from conventional cinematic vampires and to draw inspiration from folklore, resulting in a "hulking brute with a booming voice — less vampire, more undead Transylvanian nobleman", while still retaining details recalling Schreck's portrayal, such as fingernails, posture and the shape of the head. [27] Orlok's design in this film is partially inspired by Vlad Dracula, whom the original Dracula was named after. [28] Skarsgård, having refused to have his voice digitally modulated, was trained to lower his voice by Icelandic opera singer Ásgerður Júníusdóttir, incorporating Mongolian throat singing into his lines. [29] Inspired by Orlok being an ancient Romanian count, Eggers decided to have him speak a reconstructed form of the Dacian language in the film. [30] The Eggers remake is more explicit about Orlok's origins, revealing that he was a Solomonar who had made a pact with Satan in a bid for immortality. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Nosferatu</i> 1922 silent film by F. W. Murnau

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a 1922 silent German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife of his estate agent and brings the plague to their town.

<i>Shadow of the Vampire</i> 2000 film by E. Elias Merhige

Shadow of the Vampire is a 2000 independent period vampire Gothic mystery film directed by E. Elias Merhige and written by Steven Katz. The film stars John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe. It is a fictionalized account of the making of the classic vampire film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, directed by F. W. Murnau, during which the film crew begin to have disturbing suspicions about their lead actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Schreck</span> German actor (1879–1936)

Friedrich Gustav Maximilian Schreck, known professionally as Max Schreck, was a German actor, best known for his lead role as the vampire Count Orlok in the film Nosferatu (1922).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Van Helsing</span> Fictional character created by Bram Stoker

Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows his name: "MD, D.Ph., D.Litt., etc.", indicating a wealth of experience, education and expertise. He is a doctor, professor, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, and metaphysician. The character is best known through many adaptations of the story as a vampire slayer, monster hunter and the arch-nemesis of Count Dracula, and the prototypical and the archetypal parapsychologist in subsequent works of paranormal fiction. Some later works tell new stories about Van Helsing, while others, such as Dracula (2020) and I Woke Up a Vampire (2023) have characters that are his descendants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renfield</span> Fictional character from Bram Stokers Dracula

R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. He is Count Dracula's deranged, fanatically devoted servant and familiar, helping him in his plan to turn Mina Harker into a vampire in return for a continuous supply of insects to consume and the promise of immortality. Throughout the novel, he resides in an asylum, where he is treated by Dr. John Seward.

<i>Dracula</i> (1931 English-language film) 1931 film

Dracula is a 1931 American pre-Code supernatural horror film directed and co-produced by Tod Browning from a screenplay written by Garrett Fort and starring Bela Lugosi in the title role. It is based on the 1924 stage play Dracula by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, which in turn is adapted from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Lugosi portrays Count Dracula, a vampire who emigrates from Transylvania to England and preys upon the blood of living victims, including a young man's fiancée.

<i>Dracula</i> (1979 film) 1979 British horror film directed by John Badham

Dracula is a 1979 gothic horror film directed by John Badham. The film starred Frank Langella in the title role as well as Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence and Kate Nelligan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mina Harker</span> Fictional character

Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vampire film</span> Film genre

Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, with over 170 versions to date. Running a distant second are adaptations of the 1872 novel Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.

<i>Nosferatu the Vampyre</i> 1979 film by Werner Herzog

Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 gothic horror film directed and written by Werner Herzog. The film serves as both a remake of the 1922 film Nosferatu and an adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. Herzog’s film is set in 19th-century Wismar, Germany and Transylvania. The picture stars Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula, Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker, Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker, and French artist-writer Roland Topor as Renfield. There are two different versions of the film, one in which the actors speak English, and one in which they speak German.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vampires in popular culture</span>

Vampires are frequently represented in popular culture across various forms of media, including appearances in ballet, films, literature, music, opera, theatre, paintings, and video games.

<i>Nosferatu: Plague of Terror</i> 1990s American comic series

Nosferatu: Plague of Terror, later published under the title Nosferatu: Sovereign of Terror, is a four-part comic series released by American publisher Millennium Publications from 1991 to 1992. Conceived as both a prequel and sequel to F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu, it was written by Mark Ellis, designed by Melissa Martin, with art provided by Rik Levins, Richard Pace, and Frank Turner.

<i>Vampire in Venice</i> 1988 Italian horror film

Vampire in Venice, also known as Prince of the Night and Nosferatu in Venice is a 1988 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Augusto Caminito and an uncredited Klaus Kinski, and starring Kinski, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasence, and Barbara De Rossi. The story follows Professor Paris Catalano (Plummer), who travels to Venice following the trail of the last known appearance of Nosferatu (Kinski), who was seen at Carnival in 1786. Catalano learns through a séance that the vampire is seeking eternal death, and tries to put an end to its existence once and for all.

Boo! is a 1932 American Pre-Code comedy horror short film by Universal Pictures, directed and written by Albert DeMond. Boo! contains clips of horror films Nosferatu (1922), The Cat Creeps (1930), and Frankenstein (1931), mocking them thoroughly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greta Schröder</span> German actress

Greta Schröder was a German actress. She is best known for the role of Ellen Hutter, Thomas Hutter's wife and the cause of Count Orlok's destruction in Nosferatu (1922). In the fictionalized 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire, she is portrayed as having been a famous actress during the making of Nosferatu, but in fact she was little known. The bulk of her career was during the 1920s, and she continued to act well into the 1950s, but by the 1930s her roles had diminished to only occasional appearances. Following a failed marriage with struggling actor Ernst Matray, she was married to actor and film director Paul Wegener.

Graveyard Shift (<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i>) 16th episode of the 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Graveyard Shift" is the first part of the 16th episode of the second season, and the 36th episode overall, of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Mr. Lawrence, Jay Lender and Dan Povenmire, and the animation was directed by Sean Dempsey. Lender and Povenmire also served as storyboard directors. The episode was copyrighted in 2001 and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 6, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Skarsgård</span> Swedish actor (born 1990)

Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is known for portraying Pennywise in the horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019). Other horror appearances were in the series Hemlock Grove (2013–2015) and Castle Rock (2018–2019) and the films Barbarian (2022) and Nosferatu (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hutter</span> Fictional character

Thomas Hutter is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the silent expressionist horror film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) and other films based on it.

<i>Nosferatu</i> (2024 film) Film by Robert Eggers

Nosferatu is a 2024 American gothic horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers. It is a remake of F. W. Murnau's 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, itself based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, while Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp star as Thomas and Ellen Hutter. The supporting cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe.

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a 2023 American horror film directed by David Lee Fisher, a remake of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu. It premiered at the Emagine Theater in Novi, Michigan on November 11, 2023.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ F.W., Murnau. "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (A Symphony of Horror)". archive.org. Internet Archive . Retrieved August 22, 2016. Published 1922
  2. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Nosferatu". rogerebert.com. Ebert Digital, LLC. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Cazacu 2017 , p. 390
  4. ↑ Annwn Jones 2017 , p. 171
  5. ↑ Prager 2012 , p. 105
  6. ↑ "Nosferatu". uen.org. Utah Education Network. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Annwn Jones 2017 , pp. 169, 184
  8. ↑ Klinowski, Jacek; Garbicz, Adam (2012). Feature Cinema in the 20th Century: Volume One: 1913–1950: a Comprehensive Guide. Planet RGB Limited. p. 1920. ISBN   9781624075643 . Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  9. ↑ Hsu, Jeremy (9 September 2011). "Germs on the Big Screen: 11 Infectious Movies". livescience.com. Future US, Inc. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Jacobs, Diane (7 October 1979). ""I Become My Characters"". Nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Mückenberger, Christiane (1993), "Nosferatu", in Dahlke, Günther; Karl, Günter (eds.), Deutsche Spielfilme von den Anfängen bis 1933 (in German), Berlin: Henschel Verlag, p. 71, ISBN   3-89487-009-5
  12. 1 2 3 "Of Vampires and the Great War". 30 October 2014. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  13. 1 2 Churton 2014 , p. 68
  14. ↑ Scivally 2015 , p. 111
  15. ↑ Giesen 2019 , pp. 108–109
  16. ↑ Magistrale 2005 , pp. 25–26
  17. ↑ Jackson 2013 , p. 20
  18. 1 2 Kennedy, Harlan (30 July 1978). "Dracula Is a Bourgeois Nightmare, Says Herzog". Nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht by Walter Chaw". filmfreakcentral.com. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
  20. ↑ Ebert, Roger (24 October 2011). "Nosferatu the Vampyre Movie Review (1979)". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  21. ↑ Giovannini 1997 , p. 56
  22. ↑ Curti 2019 , p. 169
  23. ↑ Curti 2019 , p. 168
  24. ↑ Edwards 2016 , p. 290
  25. ↑ Curti 2019 , p. 170
  26. ↑ Korngut, Josh (9 January 2025). "Doug Jones Like You've Never Seen Him Before in 'Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'". Dreadcentral.com. Dread Central. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  27. ↑ Salisbury, Mark (9 January 2025). "Robert Eggers on taking his time making 'Nosferatu' and changing Bill Skarsgard's role". Screendaily.com. Screen Daily. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  28. ↑ Wise, Damon (2 December 2024). "Nosferatu Review: Robert Eggers' Gothic Romance Is A Perverse, Technically Brilliant Tango With Death". Deadline. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  29. ↑ Truitt, Brian (30 December 2024). "'Nosferatu' star Bill Skarsgård embraced opera to get his vampire voice right". Usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  30. ↑ STREAM WARS (2024-12-21). Making Of NOSFERATU (2024) - Best Of Behind The Scenes, Sets & Talk With Lily-Rose Depp & N. Hoult. Event occurs at 11:31. Retrieved 2024-12-29– via YouTube. When he's doing his spells he speaks ancient Dacian, which is a dead language, and the Dacians were most likely the people who became the ethnic Romanians in Romania.
  31. ↑ Dubiel, Bill (3 January 2025). "Count Orlok's Immense Powers In Nosferatu Have Roots In Old Romanian Folklore". Screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Retrieved 14 January 2025.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.