Nosferatu is a 1922 silent horror film directed by F.W. Murnau about a vampire named Count Orlok who travels from Transylvania to a small German town. The film establishes vampire genre conventions like nocturnal activity, inability to be in sunlight, supernatural powers, and feeding on humans. While similar to later vampire films in depicting a vampire preying on isolated communities, Nosferatu differs in being a silent black-and-white film that relies on atmosphere and suspense rather than graphic violence or blood.

1. NOSFERATU
1922. Directed by: F.W Murnau

2. Representation of the
vampire
• Animalistic – like a
creature/monster
• Supernatural powers
• Trying to integrate
with humans so he can
feed on them.
• Cannot create
vampires, only kills
his victims.
• When he kills people,
the locals think its
the plague that's
killing off everyone.

3. Genre Conventions
• Eerie non-diegetic music used for
atmosphere and suspense.
• Isolated location – castle
• Shadows
• Nocturnal – can’t go out into sunlight
• Fangs/Neck bites
• Coffins
• Supernatural powers
• Death/Corpses

4. Similarities with Blade and
30 Days of Night
• Vampire who feeds on humans
• Isolated location
• Main protagonist who gets involved
with the vampire
• Non-diegetic music for suspense

5. Differences with Blade and 30
Days of Night
• Silent film
• Black and white
• Don’t see any blood or violence
• There is only one vampire
• Relies on atmosphere and suspense
for scares
• The vampire doesn’t look human