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BFI Film Classics
Nosferatu (1922): eine Symphonie des Grauens
F.W. Murnau's 1922 Nosferatu , the first (albeit unofficial) screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula , starring Max Schreck as the hollow-eyed, cadaverous vampire, remains a potent and disturbing horror film. Kevin Jackson's study traces Nosferatu's eventful production and reception history, including attempts by Stoker's widow to suppress it.
128 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2013
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79 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Jackson
105 books16 followersThere is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Kevin Jackson's childhood ambition was to be a vampire but instead he became the last living polymath. His colossal expertise ranged from Seneca to Sugababes, with a special interest in the occult, Ruskin, take-away food, Dante's Inferno and the moose. He was the author of numerous books on numerous subjects, including Fast: Feasting on the Streets of London (Portobello 2006), and reviewed regularly for the Sunday Times.
From: http://portobellobooks.com/3014/Kevin...
Kevin Jackson was an English writer, broadcaster and filmmaker.
He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After teaching in the English Department of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, he joined the BBC, first as a producer in radio and then as a director of short documentaries for television. In 1987 he was recruited to the Arts pages of The Independent. He was a freelance writer from the early 1990s and was a regular contributor to BBC radio discussion programmes.
Jackson often collaborated on projects in various media: with, among others, the film-maker Kevin Macdonald, with the cartoonist Hunt Emerson, with the musician and composer Colin Minchin (with whom he wrote lyrics for the rock opera Bite); and with the songwriter Peter Blegvad.
Jackson appears, under his own name, as a semi-fictional character in Iain Sinclair's account of a pedestrian journey around the M25, London Orbital.
Adapted from Wikipedia
Kevin Jackson's childhood ambition was to be a vampire but instead he became the last living polymath. His colossal expertise ranged from Seneca to Sugababes, with a special interest in the occult, Ruskin, take-away food, Dante's Inferno and the moose. He was the author of numerous books on numerous subjects, including Fast: Feasting on the Streets of London (Portobello 2006), and reviewed regularly for the Sunday Times.
From: http://portobellobooks.com/3014/Kevin...
Kevin Jackson was an English writer, broadcaster and filmmaker.
He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After teaching in the English Department of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, he joined the BBC, first as a producer in radio and then as a director of short documentaries for television. In 1987 he was recruited to the Arts pages of The Independent. He was a freelance writer from the early 1990s and was a regular contributor to BBC radio discussion programmes.
Jackson often collaborated on projects in various media: with, among others, the film-maker Kevin Macdonald, with the cartoonist Hunt Emerson, with the musician and composer Colin Minchin (with whom he wrote lyrics for the rock opera Bite); and with the songwriter Peter Blegvad.
Jackson appears, under his own name, as a semi-fictional character in Iain Sinclair's account of a pedestrian journey around the M25, London Orbital.
Adapted from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 28, 2021
One of the very best of the BFI Film Classics, if not the very best; if you only read one book on this film then this will do you nicely...
Enjoyably readable, Jackson's passion for this film shines through, as he recounts the origins, making and reception of this masterpiece; allthewhile accepting where it has flaws and highlighting where perhaps we don't quite have the exact final version that Murnau intended. Edits and cuts, translations and the Stoker family's attempts to wipe this film from existence leave us with a trail of versions...but thankfully we have Murnau's original shooting script, annotated and detailed with his vision.
Newly tinted restoration prints mean that the 'Masters of Cinema' blu-ray breathes life (ironically) into a film now over 100 years old which still contains some of the most iconic and terrifying imagery of any film (the analysis of why the ship docking is so powerful is fabulously presented here). The importance of the tinting cannot be over-emphasised - I first saw the film in Black and White, and whilst the impact was still there, watching again with the tints in place offer a whole new experience.
Chapeau BFI - you've done it again...
Enjoyably readable, Jackson's passion for this film shines through, as he recounts the origins, making and reception of this masterpiece; allthewhile accepting where it has flaws and highlighting where perhaps we don't quite have the exact final version that Murnau intended. Edits and cuts, translations and the Stoker family's attempts to wipe this film from existence leave us with a trail of versions...but thankfully we have Murnau's original shooting script, annotated and detailed with his vision.
Newly tinted restoration prints mean that the 'Masters of Cinema' blu-ray breathes life (ironically) into a film now over 100 years old which still contains some of the most iconic and terrifying imagery of any film (the analysis of why the ship docking is so powerful is fabulously presented here). The importance of the tinting cannot be over-emphasised - I first saw the film in Black and White, and whilst the impact was still there, watching again with the tints in place offer a whole new experience.
Chapeau BFI - you've done it again...
February 3, 2025
Nosferatu: Sinfonia das Sombras explora a criação do famoso filme de 1922, contando o que aconteceu antes, durante e depois das filmagens. Gostei bastante de conhecer mais sobre a história, como a equipe se envolveu, o contexto histórico, as curiosidades e como o filme influenciou outras produções.
Porém, como o conteúdo é bem curto, achei que, em alguns momentos, ficou um pouco raso. Apesar das curiosidades serem legais, fiquei com a impressão que poucas coisas são realmente aprofundadas. Em certos trechos, o autor parece repetir algumas informações, o que me deu a impressão de que ele estava tentando “encher linguiça” para aumentar o número de páginas.
Mas num geral gostei!
Porém, como o conteúdo é bem curto, achei que, em alguns momentos, ficou um pouco raso. Apesar das curiosidades serem legais, fiquei com a impressão que poucas coisas são realmente aprofundadas. Em certos trechos, o autor parece repetir algumas informações, o que me deu a impressão de que ele estava tentando “encher linguiça” para aumentar o número de páginas.
Mas num geral gostei!
February 3, 2025
Um bom livro que se aprofunda no antes, durante e depois do filme nosferatu de 1922 seguido de uma lista de filmes supostamente inspirados ou decorrentes do mesmo. Embora ele tenha um grande apelo visual (com várias imagens de cenas e posteres) o projeto gráfico parece exagerado e sem muita identidade/padrão.
June 14, 2014
For more reviews check out talesfromideath.blogspot.com
This book is part of the BFI film classics series, each book in the series takes a different film and offers a critical analysis of its content and history. In this volume, Kevin Jackson talks about F.W. Murnau’s 1922 vampire classic, Nosferatu: Eine symphonie des grauens.
The film is the first adaptation of Dracula (albeit an unofficial one) and sees young real estate agent Hutter sell a house to the mysterious Count Orlok. Orlok reveals himself to be a vampire and follows Hutter home to pray on the city and Hutter’s wife Helen.
I’ve mentioned on my blog before that Nosferatu is my favourite film of all time, so whenever I discover anything like this, I’m always eager to pick it up and learn something new about the film.
The book is broken into different sections, dealing with the German landscape leading up to the films release, pre-production, an in-depth analysis of the film itself, the public’s reaction to the film upon release and the legacy the film has garnered today.
At just over a hundred pages it’s pretty short but Jackson manages to cram a lot of information into such a small space.
He touches on a lot of ground that will be familiar to fans of the film, producer Albin Grau’s occultist leanings, Murnau’s homosexuality, the lawsuit filed against the production company by Bram Stoker’s widow and the theme of sexual repression many critics have read into the film itself.
By far the best part of the book is the scene by scene analysis of the film that Jackson offers. He repeatedly quotes from Grau’s original screenplay which offers an interesting insight into what parts of the film never made it to the screen.
The screenplay makes mention of several scenes not present in the final cut either for timing reasons or the inability to pull of the desired effects with the technology of the time. One scene in particular calls for a man sized raven to fly alongside Hutter’s carriage while the trees of the forest come to life.
While it’s hard to say whether or not these scenes would have improved or damaged the film had they been included, it’s certainly interesting to see a little more of Grau’s vision for the film.
The book ends with an enjoyable section detailing the films legacy, touching on the 1976 remake by Werner Herzog and the 2000 horror/comedy/biopic Shadow of the Vampire which sees Murnau hire a real vampire to play the part of Orlok. There’s even a mention of Paul Whitehouse’s Monster Monster Monster character from the fast show.
If you’re a big fan of Nosferatu, chances are you’ll already know most of the stuff included here. The details of the films production and the infamous lawsuit upon its release have all been documented many times before. However, while there’s not a lot here that’s new, Jackson’s essay is definitely still worth a read, there’s a lot of info but it’s presented well and it’s an easy, enjoyable read. The main point of interest is the notes on the screenplay and they’re definitely worth picking the book up for.
If you’re a film fan in general, it’s definitely worth picking up, Nosferatu truly is one of the greatest moments in cinema and it’s legacy deserves to live on for years to come.
This book is part of the BFI film classics series, each book in the series takes a different film and offers a critical analysis of its content and history. In this volume, Kevin Jackson talks about F.W. Murnau’s 1922 vampire classic, Nosferatu: Eine symphonie des grauens.
The film is the first adaptation of Dracula (albeit an unofficial one) and sees young real estate agent Hutter sell a house to the mysterious Count Orlok. Orlok reveals himself to be a vampire and follows Hutter home to pray on the city and Hutter’s wife Helen.
I’ve mentioned on my blog before that Nosferatu is my favourite film of all time, so whenever I discover anything like this, I’m always eager to pick it up and learn something new about the film.
The book is broken into different sections, dealing with the German landscape leading up to the films release, pre-production, an in-depth analysis of the film itself, the public’s reaction to the film upon release and the legacy the film has garnered today.
At just over a hundred pages it’s pretty short but Jackson manages to cram a lot of information into such a small space.
He touches on a lot of ground that will be familiar to fans of the film, producer Albin Grau’s occultist leanings, Murnau’s homosexuality, the lawsuit filed against the production company by Bram Stoker’s widow and the theme of sexual repression many critics have read into the film itself.
By far the best part of the book is the scene by scene analysis of the film that Jackson offers. He repeatedly quotes from Grau’s original screenplay which offers an interesting insight into what parts of the film never made it to the screen.
The screenplay makes mention of several scenes not present in the final cut either for timing reasons or the inability to pull of the desired effects with the technology of the time. One scene in particular calls for a man sized raven to fly alongside Hutter’s carriage while the trees of the forest come to life.
While it’s hard to say whether or not these scenes would have improved or damaged the film had they been included, it’s certainly interesting to see a little more of Grau’s vision for the film.
The book ends with an enjoyable section detailing the films legacy, touching on the 1976 remake by Werner Herzog and the 2000 horror/comedy/biopic Shadow of the Vampire which sees Murnau hire a real vampire to play the part of Orlok. There’s even a mention of Paul Whitehouse’s Monster Monster Monster character from the fast show.
If you’re a big fan of Nosferatu, chances are you’ll already know most of the stuff included here. The details of the films production and the infamous lawsuit upon its release have all been documented many times before. However, while there’s not a lot here that’s new, Jackson’s essay is definitely still worth a read, there’s a lot of info but it’s presented well and it’s an easy, enjoyable read. The main point of interest is the notes on the screenplay and they’re definitely worth picking the book up for.
If you’re a film fan in general, it’s definitely worth picking up, Nosferatu truly is one of the greatest moments in cinema and it’s legacy deserves to live on for years to come.
February 25, 2025
It's not strange to be creeped out by one of the most famous horror silent films... it's something else to be a little unnerved by the mere descriptions of the scenes. I'm not sure how to describe it, but Kevin Jackson has a wonderful eye for what makes the movie surreal and terrifying at the same time. The insights into Murnau's life and the background on production also didn't slow down the pace as much as one would think. Overall, if you enjoy film history, sink your teeth into the spine of this very short book, and then watch the movie with all of the lights turned off. Maybe with a glass of red at your side.
February 27, 2025
If you love the film then you will love this book. I also love this series of books about films. Perfect for me, a guy who loves films and books. Nosferatu is a classic. I am filled with joy when I see stills of Max Schrek. Pure cinema. Fun little read. I dig books that are 100 pages. Now come, let me suck your blood.
January 12, 2022
A lot of great things in this book, but it's way too heavy on summary/synopsis. The books in this series are short, and others in the series set a high bar for critical work in such a small word count. I simply wanted more analysis and research.
March 14, 2024
interesting read that will certainly to some degree inform my study of the film, but one which seems largely disinterested in critical analysis - much more focused on biography and summary
5/10
5/10
August 7, 2024
Very good book if you want to know more about Nosferatu’s production. I particularly loved the chapters with the screenplay and side notes.
January 4, 2025
Por falta da edição BR da Darkside aqui no Goodreads, deixo aqui essa edição só para ficar registrado meu primeiro livro concluído de 2025.
November 23, 2025
Conclusão: para os entusiastas cinéfilos, Fome De Viver (Hunger)
para os leitores Carmilla,
para os leitores Carmilla,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2015
Kevin Jackson's BFI: Nosferatu (2013) is an excellent companion to F.M. Munau's seminal horror film. The film is routinely cited as one of the greatest vampire films of all-time and certainly the first. Jackson has dived the book into six sections: 1) Contexts-the background behind the film 2) Production 3) Nosferatu: Acts I and II 4) Nosferatu:Acts III-V 5) Release, Reactions, Reputation 6) Afterlives. So it was interesting to learn that Bram Stoker's ex-wife and his estate wanted all copies of the film destroyed. Fortunately this act failed as some copies survived and the film gained a greater reputation years after it's initial release. I was also surprised to see that there was a fictional film based on the casting of a real vampire in this film, called Shadow of the Vampire (2000) starring John Malkovic and Willem Dafoe. Furthermore, I didn't realize that one of my favorite short story writers, Jim Shepard, also wrote a novel about the director and film, Nosferatu in Love (1998).
October 26, 2016
Una excelente monografía sobre la obra maestra del expresionismo alemán y la primer obra importante en ofrecer una indeleble caracterización del vampiro en el cine. Jackson examina con rigor las fuentes, los antecedentes y aclara errores en la genealogía cinematográfica del tema. Jackson, con temple académico y astucia literaria, revela muchos datos sobre la relación de Murnau con la viuda de Bram Stoker, además de remitir a las fuentes ocultas de Nosferatu. Además claro de analizar los temas y evaluar los méritos de la cinta.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews