It is the age of the silent movie, and German expressionist director F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is determined to film his version of the Dracula story, whatever the cost to his cast and crew.

I've never really been a big fan of Nosferatu nor a particular admirer of Willem Dafoe, but this bizarre little movie has made me appreciate both much more. A fictionalised account of the making of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent horror classic, Shadow of the Vampire toys with the notion that Nosferatu's star Max Schreck (played here by Dafoe) was actually a bona fide member of the undead.

This fanciful idea plays out a little too slowly, perhaps, but offers plenty of opportunity for dark humour, the cast delivering suitably offbeat performances that prove strangely intoxicating, with Dafoe's mesmerising turn as Shreck being the film's strongest suit, the actor's mannerisms and expressions played to perfection.

Casual movie fans who haven't seen Murnau's classic will probably wonder what the hell is going on, so I recommend seeing Nosferatu beforehand, just so that one can fully appreciate the magic of certain scenes and the brilliance of Dafoe's performance.

This movie is a true relief for everyone who thought the genre of horror and mystery was dead and buried. It feels good to see that it's still possible to create movies like this. Even though the plot is rather simple, the movie seems to be very original and innovating. The basic idea behind this movie is so simple that it is - in fact - brilliant and it makes me wonder why nobody has thought about this earlier. The movie is completely based on the very early horror milestone "Nosferatu, ein symphony des grauens". Legendary actor Max Schrek is portrayed here like a REAL vampire who regularly takes a bite out of his crew. Director F.W. Murnau knows about this but finishing his movie is a higher priority to him than to sacrifice a few people.

This theme makes it of course a must for the ancient horror fans. Lots of footage and trivia of the 1922 masterpiece are shown and that's a real extra value for true cinema buffs ! But of course, this movie reaches far above average thanks to the brilliant performances. A totally disguised Willem Dafoe is absolutely amazing in his role of Max Shreck. It's like looking at the real Schrek...the resemblance is terrific. His appearance (especially the long nails) give you the creeps whenever he's on screen and his voice haunts your head every time he says something. Dafoe never gives away a bad performance but this one is extraordinary. And of course,the same can be said about John Malkovich...his portrayal of director F.W. Murnau is extremely realistic and believable. He plays Murnau as the man who slowly goes insane because he tries to be too perfect. An amazing performance !!

There aren't many shock effects to detect in this movie but that's rather normal, right ? After all, it's more like a costume-drama than it is horror. The lack of exiting scenes is made up by the constant presence of tension and an extremely appropriate atmosphere. Also, a perfect image of Eastern Europe in the 1920's is presented to the audience. All these aspects make a much better movie then just some ordinary slashing and slicing throats. A must see !!

When I first began watching this film, I thought it was simply a dramatization of the film-making process that occurred when F. W. Murnau made his classic NOSFERATU (1922). However, a little way into the movie, it became apparent that the writers took some creative license with the true story. Then, a little bit later, it was obvious the whole film was a "put-on". While it was pretty entertaining and a lot of fun to watch, in hindsight, I really wish the film had been the true story of the making of NOSFERATU--or even better, the true story of Murnau's very, very unusual life. For Cinephiles like myself, I was hoping for these true-life insights, but I assume the average person probably could care less about Murnau and just wants to see the film for its entertainment value--and it does provide a good "bang for the buck". And, in the end, it is a scary and truly bizarre film.

The star of the film is undoubtedly Willem Defoe. His strange way of pursuing other roles and the parts he chose in other movies make him a good choice to play Orlock. Aside from this, the production values and all are very good, though parents might want to think twice about having the kids watch the film, as there is a bit of nudity in it here and there.

If you are inclined, try to learn about the REAL Murnau. He was a very tragic figure in film history--being gay in pre-Nazi Germany and dying at such an extremely young age--at the height of his brilliant career. Plus, if possible, seek out his movies--not just NOSFERATU. His FAUST and THE LAST LAUGH (among others) are brilliantly composed and filmed movies.