Nosferatu And The Light Of Robert Eggers
Review
Egyptians expressed anger in 2023 following the portrayal of Cleopatra VII as a black woman in a Netflix docudrama series. A lawyer even filed a complaint accusing the programme of attempting to erase Egyptian identity. The scholarly consensus is that Cleopatra was of primarily Greek ancestry. The denigration of history in modern TV and film through anachronistic and absurd casting is commonplace in what passes for entertainment. In Britain, we are no strangers to the falsification of the past for ideological reasons. The hegemony of leftist thinking in our media and institutions often obstructs a full expression of justified indignation (Simon Webb has done excellent work covering this attack on history on his YouTube channel History Debunked).
We can be thankful for one director in the world of film who counters attacks on the past. Robert Eggers cares about historical accuracy. His 2022 film The Northman was criticised by the usual suspects for the historically minded selection of an all-white cast. Undeterred by this criticism, his latest work, Nosferatu (2024), is faithful to its European context. Before addressing the immense value of Eggers in the current cultural situation, it is worth providing a short synopsis of his film. It will not describe the ending or go into extensive detail. What follows will not spoil it should you want to watch it.
Nosferatu is a remake of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (1897). The latest in a long line of adaptions of the story has gravitas and remains suitably eerie throughout. The acting is of a high standard, and the film is stunning visually. The dress and sets are a real treat, and one can immerse easily into the nineteenth-century story. For those not keen on horror films, myself included, nothing is too frightening. The blood, gore, and pestilence are in good proportion, and there is nothing over the top or gratuitous. The odd part of the film did not make complete sense to me, but this did not detract from an enjoyable experience overall.
At the start, a young woman named Ellen, played by Lily-Rose Depp, is met by a mysterious voice. It tells Ellen she has awoken an entity from its slumber. This presence shows itself as a shadowy silhouette moving behind her curtains. It persuades her to pledge her loyalty to him. Soon after, a violent seizure attacks her.
The film moves to 1838 in Wisborg, Germany. Ellen is married to real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult). Hutter works for Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), who sends him to sell a decrepit castle once owned by Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard). Thomas discloses his travel plans to Ellen, and she becomes filled with dread. Ellen recounts a chilling dream she had on their wedding night, one where all their guests died, leaving her with death as a groom. Strangely, she says this experience brought her an intense feeling of joy.
With a heavy heart, Thomas leaves her and attends the castle. He meets the shadowy and ominous Count Orlok. On seeing Thomas with a locket containing Ellen’s image, Orlok recognises her as the woman who pledged her loyalty to him long ago. Orlock frightens Thomas and prevents him from leaving the imposing castle. When seeking a way out, Thomas discovers Orlok resting in a sarcophagus. A confrontation ensues. Thomas escapes from his pursuer by jumping from a window into the water below.
Back in Wisborg, Ellen’s seizures return and concerns for her grow, and Dr Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson) comes to help. He attributes her condition to an excess of blood. Meanwhile, Thomas races back home, alarmed at the thought of Orlok targeting Ellen. When unable to cure Ellen of convulsions, Sievers turns to his mentor, Dr Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willaim Dafoe). Von Franz examines Ellen and learns that visions of Orlok have haunted Ellen since childhood. He tells Sievers that they are up against an evil force.
Events turn drastically when Orlok smuggles himself aboard a ship. He hides in dirt-filled crates alongside plague-infested rats. The ship crashes into Wisborg harbour after a violent storm. Orlok exits the vessel and leaves a trail of terror in his wake before ensnaring Ellen in his web of nightmares. He ultimately wants her to surrender to him sexually. Ellen’s friend Anna and her daughters fall victim to Orlok’s monstrous cravings as plague ravages Wisborg. Von Franz desperately seeks a resolution to the ongoing disaster and strives to lift the blood-curdling curse of Orlok.
The battle of good against evil and the fight against sexual abuse and predatory behaviour are the major themes in this story.
Nosferatu has succeeded at the box office, grossing $173.4 million from a budget of $50 million, outperforming The Northman in this area. The film has received positive reviews and Academy Award nominations. Its popularity attests to the ability of Eggers and fresh interest in Stoker’s story, notwithstanding a range of previous films based on his book.
Thankfully, Eggers will carry on releasing high quality films that are faithful to history. During a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, he said the idea of a contemporary film project makes him feel ‘‘ill’’. “The idea of having to photograph a car makes me ill,’’. “And the idea of photographing a cellphone is just death. And to make a contemporary story you have to photograph a cellphone — it’s just how life is — so no.”
When asked to specify the most recent periods he might work on he said: “I don’t know. I might go potentially to 1950 but before World War II is more inviting for my imagination.”
Eggers will follow up the success of Nosferatu with “Werewulf,”. It is due for release on Christmas Day 2026. He is working on a sequel to the 1986 classic “Labyrinth.” Also in development are “Rasputin,” “The Knight,” and an undisclosed Western.
Today, European history is habitually falsified. People of non-European descent are cast as Europeans in film and TV. Eggers is a ray of light in an industry that can demoralise those who want accurate representations of the past. What other motive can there be behind the constant drive to cast non-whites in the roles of white people but the erosion of the historical memory and cultural continuity of Europeans? To my knowledge, no one has ever suggested that Ray Winston play Nelson Mandela, nor should they. European history and heredity are attacked to deracinate us. By adhering to truth and committing himself passionately to his craft, Eggers's offers the chance to be inspired and fascinated by the heritage of Europe.
I have a new job to find and the matter of relocating to consider. I may not be able to publish as regularly as I would like in the coming weeks and months, but I will do my best.
References
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 3). Nosferatu (2024 film). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:40, February 11, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nosferatu_(2024_film)&oldid=1273747003
Elena Lazic, The Playlist, ‘The Northman’ Director Robert Eggers On Historical Accuracy, Studio Notes & Not Making A “Movie Schmovie” https://theplaylist.net/the-northman-director-robert-eggers-on-historical-accuracy-studio-notes-not-making-a-movie-schmovie-20220421/, 21/4/22, accessed: 3/2/25
Jordan Ruimy, The World of Reel, Robert Eggers is Not Interested In Making a Contemporary Film: ‘‘Makes Me Ill’’, 26/1/25, accessed: 3/2/25, https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/1/25/eggers-on-modern
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 9). Robert Eggers. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:30, February 10, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Eggers&oldid=1274831253
David Gritten, Egyptians complain over Netflix depiction of Cleopatra as black, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65322821, 19/4/23, accessed: 2/2/25
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 3). Ethnicity of Cleopatra. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:00, February 3, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethnicity_of_Cleopatra&oldid=1273592033
What’s After the Movie, Nosferatu 2024, accessed: 3/2/25, https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/movies/nosferatu-2024
Good piece
Since the unaccountable decline of the Coen Brothers, Eggers is probably the best 'mainstream' film maker around. He really knows how to capture an atmosphere, yet except on a surface level I didn't think Nosferatu was very accurate historically; The Northman was better in this regard but not as good a film.
My extended quibbles about the hitrocial veracity of this film, and some other stuff besides, are here:
https://shadeofachilles.substack.com/p/the-better-sl00ts-of-our-nature-in?r=3jr7ai