Massaccesi - Nosferatu: a symphony of horror

Contexts. The political and social contexts of the Weimar Republic -- The Weimar cinematographic industry -- The German expressionist movement -- The stylistic traits of expressionist cinema -- Bringing the undead to life. The films crew -- Production and reception -- Controversy and legal action -- From the page to the screen -- Reading the vampire. The film on DVD -- Reading Nosferatu as a complex discovery plot -- Signs and meanings. Nosferatus style and form -- Interpretations -- Nosferatus afterlives. Between tribute and alienation : Herzogs Nosferatu, Phantom der Nacht -- The artist as despot Merhiges Shadow of the vampire.;Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, directed by German director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau in 1922, is not only regarded as one of the most intriguing and disquieting films to have been produced during the years of Weimar cinema but is also a key step in establishing the vampire as a cinematic figure and in shaping its connection with our subconscious fears and desires. In her analysis of this hugely influential film, Cristina Massaccesi unravels the never-ending fascination exercised by the film over generations of viewers and filmmakers whilst at the same time providing the reader with a clear guide about the films contexts, cinematography, and possible interpretations, covering the political and social context of the Weimar Republic and its film industry, the German Expressionist movement, the films production, reception and difficult initial release. The book also includes the results of a lengthy interview between the author and E. Elias Merhige, director of the Nosferatu homage, Shadow of the Vampire (2000). -- Amazon.com.