NOSFERATU & VAMPYR!

The story of a man named Hutter and his wife Ellen. Hutter works for Knock who convinces Hutter to visit count Orlok's castle and sell him a run down house across the street from the house that Hutter shares with his wife Ellen. Hutter agress to do this. At dinner with Orlok Hutter cuts his finger and Orlok becomes transfixed by the blood, Orlok sees a picture of Ellen and tells Hutter that she has a beautiful neck. The next day hutter wakes up with bit marks in his neck.
I found the story really fun to watch especially with the stunning visuals, I loved the shots were you just saw shadows of Nosferatu on the wall or creeping up the stairs.

I noticed that unlike Battleship Potemkin, Nosferatu uses longer shots to create tension, one in particular wher we first see Nosferatu coming towards Hutters bedroom door and the camera switches from a terrified hutter to Nosferatu getting closer and closer (with a wonderful use of archways to frame the charater.) The soundtrack was very quirky and added even more tension. Andy said that Battleship Potemkin had been called a moving work of art. I felt this was more relevant for Nosferatu because if you pause the film at anytime that frame would look like a beautifully composed photograph. I thought the set/costume production design was amazing, every little detail was very precise and there to make you feel a specific way. I really loved it and would quite happily watch it again!
I watched Vampyr "the strange adventures of Allan Gray" by Carl Theodor Dreyer, which was his first sound film. I found this film quite supernatural. Like Nosferatu I noticed how much filmmakers were advancing in cinematography at this time. Every single shot has been created to the last detail to manipulate the audience. They use candels to create eerie shadows on the walls, soft light close ups and stark silloetted figures give it the ghostlike quality that affects the audience so much.
And when looking at posters I think Vampyr has some amazing horror posters with a mix of hand drawn images and photographs.