| Shadow of the Vampire |
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| Rating: Good Distributor: Lions Gate Films MPAA Rating: R Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Comedy, Dark Comedy Running Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes Release Date: December 29th, 2000 (limited), January 12th, 2001 (wider) Director: E. Elias Merhige Cast: John Malkovich, Willem DaFoe, Cary Elwes, Catherine McCormack, Udo Kier, Eddie Izzard, Aden Gillett, and Ronan Vibert. |
| Plot: F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) wants to make the perfect vampire film. He was not given the rights to make Dracula, so he decides to make it anyway, and just change the names. Dracula is instead named Count Orlock. He recruits someone who may actually be a vampire, someone who he calls Max Schreck (Willem DaFoe). He agrees to give Schreck Greta Garbo if he cooperates and stars in his production. The cast members however, are not given this information until the end. Instead, Murnau claims Schreck is the ultimate method actor, always in costume and in his role. He is angered when cast members start to disappear, and Schreck may be causing more trouble than he's worth. What prooves surprising is Schreck's human qualities, something that also gives the film a lot of comedy. |
| picture above from www.shadowofthevampire.com |
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| Critique: Shadow of the Vampire is an eerily enjoyable, sometimes hilarious film. Like Malkovich's last film Being John Malkovich, its originality is its strength. Of course Being John Malkovich was superior to Shadow of the Vampire for several reasons. For instance, it didn't have Spike Jonze's direction, or Charlie Kaufman's script. But, I digress, Shadow is still a very recommendable film. Although E. Elias Merhige drifts off towards the last quarter of the film, for the most part he casts a suffocating mood. Shadow is also successful because of its ability to be effective as a thriller, and alternately effective in its comedy. (Again a shared trait with Being John Malkovich). It is a pensive film, the kind of film that we have been lacking in the year 2000. Also, the costumes and makeup are top notch. I'm not an expert in those fields, but it seems to me they were convincing and well done. The score is effectively creepy, parrelleling the story nicely. The cinematography by Lou Bogue is very stylish and classy. His references to silent films were terrific. The main flaw however with Shadow of the Vampire is it loses its novelty after the first hour. I think E. Elias Merhige lost some of his moody magic after that mark. Still the worst part of that last half an hour was the very end, which was excessively morbid and bloody. It gave nothing to the plot, and was poorly written. I'm not sure Steven Katz, who wrote the screenplay, knew where he wanted to go with the story. The whole film is superbly acted, by the supporting cast and main actors. John Malkovich is haunting as F.W. Murnau, but more a fictional scientist type figure than any director - especially the actual one. Of course, that's one the film intends though. I can't add much to the deserving buzz Willem DaFoe has received for his unconvential monster. He leaves all cliches in the dust, in his hard breathing, sinister, but quirky villian. DaFoe steals the show every time he arrives on screen. Shadow loses its tone as the film progresses, and leaves a bad taste in your mouth with its pointless ending. Still, as a whole it is an unconventionally entertaining picture, with some hilarious lines. My favorite line is when Schrek (DaFoe) says he wants makeup, and Murnau (Malkovich) says something like "Well, you don't get any!" That banter back in forth between the protagonist and the antagonist keeps the film afloat. review by supernothingman |