Points of Discussion for Nosferatu (1922) by F.W. Murnau

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Setting

• 1838
• Bremen
• Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains
• realistic or fantastic?
• costumes

Characters

• Nosferatu
• Jonathon Harker
• Nina Harker
• Renfield
• the Professor

Nosferatu

• hooked nose
• huge eyes
• claw-like nails
• bald
• disguised as coachman
• associated with animals and parasites
• brings the plague
• from the East
• priest, sailor, professor and policeman cannot kill him

Knowledge and Authority

• books
• professor, doctor
• intuition
• hypnosis

Sacrifice

• Nina sacrifices herself
• a pure woman can destroy the vampire
• we only see Nosferatu drinking blood once - with Nina

The body

• abnormal
• source of knowledge
• power
• pleasure
• alive and dead

Fantasy and Reality

• duality
• disguise
• fluid identity
• enemy is a parasite that must be exterminated
• realistic settings and supernatural events