Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu focuses on themes of sex, death, and shame. The film expands on the story of the 1922 original by giving Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) a supernatural gift.
Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a remake of the famous 1922 horror film. It makes the sexual themes of the original stronger by showing Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) developing an unhealthy attraction to the ugly Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).
‘Nosferatu’ Was Inspired By ‘Dracula’
‘Nosferatu’ Was Inspired by ‘Dracula’ The original Nosferatu is a remake of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but with the vampire replaced by Count Orlok, who is less charming and more monstrous than Dracula.
Eggers’ Nosferatu moves away from modern vampire movies and goes back to old vampire myths, while still capturing the feel of the 1922 film.
Eggers focuses on the contrast between life and death, light and dark. His human characters are full of energy and desire, while Orlok is surrounded by decay and death.
Eggers mostly follows the story of the 1922 film but adds a twist: Ellen plays a part in bringing Orlok back to life, and their psychic connection is stronger.
What Is The Connection Between Ellen And Count Orlok?
Ellen is a lonely girl who doesn’t fit into the society she lives in. She has the strange ability to see into the spirit world.
The film’s occult expert, Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (played by Willem Dafoe), says that in a different time, Ellen would have been a respected high priestess. But in her time (1838), her ability to see spirits is feared and misunderstood. People treat her badly, and to control her outbursts, she is given medicine that makes her lie still in bed.
Ellen grew up alone, and she longed for some kind of company. Unfortunately, Count Orlok answers her call, waking up from his long sleep to find her.
Ellen starts having strange, unsettling dreams about Count Orlok. These dreams mix feelings of attraction and fear, leaving her with guilt and self-hate.
Although Ellen tries to live a normal life with her husband, Thomas Hutter (played by Nicholas Hoult), her dark desires return when Thomas is asked to sell an estate to Orlok, who is thought to be a wealthy, eccentric nobleman.
Orlok is more like a demon than a normal vampire. He represents Ellen’s hidden sexual desires, which are suppressed by the strict social rules of her time. Orlok answers Ellen’s deep loneliness, becoming the companion she feels she shouldn’t want.
In interviews, Lily-Rose Depp has talked about a “mutual longing” between her character and Orlok, calling it a “love triangle” involving herself, her husband, and the undead Count.
When Thomas goes to Orlok’s castle, he gets confused by the vampire’s mind-control powers and unknowingly signs a strange contract in occult writing, giving Orlok control over his wife.
But Orlok still needs Ellen’s consent to fully complete the contract and truly bind himself to her.
What Does Count Orlok Really Want?
What does Count Orlok really want? Orlok only wants to drink the blood of the living and corrupt the innocent. He calls himself an “appetite,” and that’s all he is.
He’s like a hungry mosquito, a starving rat, or a virus that moves from one person to another, killing them after taking all their energy. Orlok is an unnatural creature who shouldn’t even be alive, and he stays alive by draining the life from young, healthy people.
Unlike Dracula, Orlok can’t create new vampires. Instead, he just kills his victims and spreads deadly disease with his army of rats.
Orlok wears the traditional clothes of a Transylvanian noble, and like many vampires, he represents the greed of the rich and powerful.
Even though he drinks a lot of blood, Orlok’s body keeps decaying and rotting.
Orlok wants to be with Ellen, but she can’t make him happy or complete; she’s just a tasty meal to him.
The Ending Of ‘Nosferatu,’ Explained
When Orlok arrives in Wisborg, he immediately starts killing innocent people and spreading a deadly disease throughout the town. He makes it clear that he will not stop unless Ellen agrees to be with him.
Orlok cannot be killed in the usual way because he was summoned by Ellen’s desires. The only way to destroy him is through a blood sacrifice. Eberhart von Franz realizes this quickly, and so does Ellen. They both come up with a plan to distract Thomas by sending him on a pointless mission to kill Orlok.
Ellen pretends that she has given in to her darkest desires, but in reality, she is tricking Orlok into losing track of time because of his bloodlust.
Unlike Dracula, who only weakens in sunlight, Count Orlok is harmed by even a small amount of daylight. He avoids the sun, but Ellen’s blood can confuse him and make him drink too much.
Ellen sacrifices herself for a noble cause, ensuring that her soul is free and not trapped by Orlok’s evil undead curse.
While the ending of Nosferatu might seem sad, it shows good triumphing over evil, with the town saved and Orlok destroyed forever.
Ellen lived between the real world and the spiritual world, and the film shows that she was meant for something special. She just happened to be born in the wrong time.
Published: 30th December 2024
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