The Bird of Death

"Nosferatu. Does not this word sound like the call of the death bird at midnight? You dare not say it since the pictures of life will fade into dark shadows; ghostly dreams will rise from your heart and feed on your blood."
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This month marked the 100th anniversary of one of my most favorite films, certainly my undisputed favorite vampire film. Among the countless retellings of Bram Stoker's Dracula, I find that none comes as close as Nosferatu to capturing the dark, haunting spirit of the novel, even if this film is not the most faithful of adaptations in terms of characters and plot. And no vampire on the screen, good or bad, old fashioned or modern, comes as close as matching Count Orlok in dark, horrifying majesty.