Nominated for 2 Academy Awards in 2001, Shadow of the Vampire is probably the most celebrated Hollywood horror film since The Silence of the Lambs and the most artistic vampire affair since Interview With the Vampire. Yes, though 2 award nominations is nothing too spectacualr in this day and age, for a horror film that's pretty damn good. A story based on the behind-the-scenes of the 1921 black & white horror legend Nosferatu, Shadow of the Vampire follows the film's director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and his cast & crew of odd characters as they work to create their own nitch in cinematic history. Featuring a nice blend of drama, comedy and horror, Shadow of the Vampireis by far one of the best films to come out of 2000, horror or otherwise.
Our story takes place in Berlin Germany, 1921. Murnau (the always manic John Malkovich) has been regected by Bram Stoker's widow for the rights to his classic horror novel "Dracula", which Friedy was hoping to transform into a silent screen epic. But, never one to let his eccentric ideas by shunned aside, Friedy decides to run with his original concept anyway, basing the film heavily on the story, but simply changing the names to avoid copyright troubles. So, Count Dracula is now Count Orlock, and the film is now called Nosferatu... you know, the kinda shit they do all the time now. So, after filming the majority of the movie's scenes on a Berlin soundstage, Friedy, revolutionary he is, decides to pack up the equipment and the crew and head to Checkoslovakia to finish the film. This is much to the chagrin of his producer, Albin Grau (vampire veteran Udo Kier), since the expenses for such a stunt will be very costly. However, Friedy's not just another director or "artist", he's one of those guys who thinks he's a scientist in the field of cinematic recording as a means of historical record... In other words, he's a self-centered dickhead who only cares about his work. Also in Checkoslovakia is Friedy's mysterious star, Max Shreck (Willam Dafoe in one of his best roles), who he's been keeping very secretive about since filming began. According to Friedy, Shreck is the kind of actor who immerses himself so deeply in the role, that he refuses to be seen out of his make-up and will only be filmed after dusk... is he an obsessed character actor, or could it be a cover up for Max's TRUE lifestyle? Oh, and by the way, Shreck is not a CGI ogre voiced by Michael Myers (the comedian, not the serial killer), that would be Shrek, so get your head out of your ass and start paying attention! Yes I'm talking to you, the little girl in the helmet...
The evening following the crew's arrival into Check Land, the bizarreness strikes early, as Friedy's cameraman Wolfgang is suddenly a quivering bowl of Jell-O and someone leaves our friend Max (who we only see briefly) a caged weasel, and I'll bet that someone was Friedy. The next morning the crew seems very uneasy and distracted and the locals refuse to stop annoying Friedy until he agrees to line their shooting areas with crosses, so as to protect them from "Nosferatu"... I'm more and more convinced that yes, Shreck is the real deal! That night, when they finally film the first scenes with Count Orlock, the crew gets their first glimpse of Max... and all nearly piss themselves in terror... and rightfully so! I'd never wanna meet a mofo who looked like Schreck in the middle of the night at a dank spooky old castle! That's a job for Scooby-Doo and the Gang, not me! Not long after the appearance of the rat-faced Schreck, Wolfgang's health falters severely, likely due to a BLOOD disease, and a local woman screams "Nosferatu!" when she sees him. If a woman had said that to me, I would've been like, "Yes, in fact we ARE shooting Nosferatu! Look for it in theaters Christmas '22!"... hey, there's no such thing as bad publicity!
Though everyone applauds Max's spookiness factor, his "immersion" into his role begins to cause troubles, especially when he winds up attacking Wolfgang during filming! Not only does the attack unnerve the rest of the crew as to their safety around the pale, long nailed lunatic, but now Friedy has to travel all the way back to Berlin to pick up a new cameraman! While away, Friedy (who knows Max's secret) orders Max to obey his contract and stay away from his crew while he's gone. In addition, Max refuses to do the boat scenes required of him in his contract because he refuses to travel by boat, so Friedy must also charter a plane for him, so he can take the monster to a secluded island for the film's final scene... vampires are some of the biggest dicks to work with in this industry!
Since Max's gonna be such a prick about the boat scenes, the crew has to construct a replica of the boat in the front yard of Max's castle... during which Max knocks back some Schnapps with Albin and the film's writer! With Friedy gone, Shreck opens up to his new drinking buddies and tells them the pains of being a lonely old vampire, especially the part about forgetting the ones you love, no matter how much you love them, simply because you outlive them so long. He also gives us a vampire's critique of Stoker's "Dracula", which is actually amusing and enlightening at the same time. Friedy returns with his new cameraman, the lively Fritz Wagner (Cary Elwes of Robin Hood: Men In Tights), who makes another fine addition to Murnau's already wacky group! After finsihing up the scenes in Shreck's castle, everyone packs up once more to head to the secluded island, to which Max is flown via airplane. Friedy and Shreck talk about their deal some more, and basically it plays out like this: as long as Max plays Orlock's death scene, afterwards Friedy will give him the film's lead actress, the lovely Greta. Problem is, Max's ageless hunger is starting to get the best of him and he doesn't want to wait! Hmmmm, wonder if he knows she's addicted to morphine... and not the mighty kind that the Power Rangers do.
The night before the big death scene, Friedy locks himself in his room and gets really doped up. When Albin and Fritz break their way in, the near unconscious Murnau spills the beans on the mysterious "Max Shreck": he’s actually a vampire that Friedy bumped into while scouting locations for his film. The reclusive bloodsucker (who may or may not be Count Dracula as written about by Stoker) agreed to be the monster of Murnau's picture if Freidy could acquire him a tasty young lady. It's been years since the Count's had some cootch. Yep, as I though, Max is actually a vampire playing an actor playing a vampire... you didn't see that coming? Now what? Do Fritz and Albin stay and film the final scene with Friedy and complete the movie, or do they run away? Honestly, they really don't have a fucking choice, because the only plane on the island is dry to the bone out of fuel! Besides, these people are professionals; they would've stayed and finished the film anyway... right? Well, they don't have any choice, as the oncoming evening features the final scene. Friedy, Fritz, and Albin prepare the set and get everything ready while Shreck and Greta meet for the first time. Though Greta is the only one who doesn't know her fate, she's soon finds out, when she sees that Max doesn't cast a reflection in a mirror! A little morphine injected into her system though, and the crew is ready to start filming... that's what they do to Kirsten Dunst in Hollywood. After Friedy films Max's death scene, it's finally time for him to get paid. With the lovely Greta blitzed on narcotics, Max is free to have his way with her. Giving in to his cravings, he instantly grabs her tit and sinks his teeth into her throat, sucking on the tangy lifeblood that flows forth... and Friedy films the whole ordeal, urging Max on with shouts of "you fucking rat bastard vampire pig!" and some German I didn't understand that sounds like "pig shit"... now THAT is realism!
However, during the scene, the guys try to release a trap for Shreck, throwing a lever that's supposed to open a large steel door and allow deadly sunlight in to fry the creature! This is botched though, as Max had discovered the plan earlier and cut the trap's chain... he may be a pain in the "neck" to work with, but that Max Shreck is a smarty everyday!... and yes, that was a very unsubtle pun there too. Unhappy by the little attempt at his destruction, the vampire then kills both Fritz and Albin while Friedy films. In his madness the obsessed director continues to roll the camera and feeding direction to Max! Luckily for Murnau the rest of his crew comes looking for him, opening the steel gate and cornering Shreck in the sunlight, burning him alive and leaving him a pile of smoldering ashes... and with that, Murnau's opus is complete! Hope he didn't leave the lens cap on...
This film was an incredible effort, plain and simple! It blends the elements of horror and drama so well, utilizing comedy of various strengths and throwing in this whole "artsy fartsy" feel that tops it all off! Malkovich and Dafoe couldn't have been better cast! Dafoe makes us fear Max one moment, then sympathize with him the next, then laugh at him after all that! The make-up job on him was spectacular, and should definitely have won the crew an Oscar... though it probably went to the goobers that made Julia Roberts look nice and trashy in Erin Crotchovich. As for the film’s other Oscar nomination, it went to Dafoe for Best Supporting Actor. The award went to Benicio DelToro though for Traffic... hard choice if I had to make it, but glad I didn’t have to. Besides Dafoe, Malkovich was also incredible as the possessed F.W. Murnau, who was willing to make any and all sacrifices to get his film done... especially his cast & crew. Malkovich was so convincing in Murnau's madness that sometimes it was hard to realize who the real monster was in this cast...
Anyway, great film, check it out, should’ve won a few awards of it's own... or at least have been nominated! Then again, with a tribunal that gave Julia Roberts a Best Actress award, I'm not surprised in the least... cock suckers...
The Moral of the Story: If it looks like a vampire, talks like a vampire and quacks like a vampire, it's a vampire... and possibly Duckula...
H.O.P.E.L.E.S.S. Rating: 
- The slower pace and mostly serious tone don't bode well for a H.O.P.E.L.E.S.S. gathering, so watch it by yourself or with a significant other under your arm.
If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: Nosferatu: the Vampyre or
Bram Stoker's Dracula
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