It's rather interesting that F. W. Murnau's unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula is to date one of the better cinematic version of Stoker's horror classic which is probably due to the fact that the subject matter certainly lent itself well to German Expressionism as did Murnau's masterful use of shadow, the images of Count Orlok's shadow moving up the stairs to eventually seize the heart of the poor damsel is pure brilliance, and it's all aided greatly by Max Schreck as the malevolent creature who brings plague and death wherever he goes.
Speaking of Max Schreck, his gaunt and rat-like visage as Count Orlok is something that seemed perfectly designed to haunt one's dreams and it's no surprise that this particularly vampiric design has lasted over the years making such notable appearances in Tobe Hooper's adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot among others, and it's this fantastic make-up job and Schreck's chilling performance that really sets this take on "Dracula" above many that followed.
It should be noted that as close to Bram Stoker's novel Murnau's Nosferatu does deviate quite a bit from the source material and most notably with the ending where the vampire is no longer killed by the band of heroes but, instead, seems to die due to poor time management.
In conclusion, if you are any type of horror fan tracking down F. W. Murnau's silent masterpiece is a must as not only is it a key stepping stone in the growth of the horror genre in cinema it's also a damn great movie.
Imagine having a name as cool as Maximum Shrek
I'm including Max Schreck in here because Nosferatu was pretty much a retelling of Dracula.
