Nosferatu
A Symphony of Horrors
A film by F W Murnau
F W Murnau's horror classic of 1922 was the
first screen adaption of Bram Stoker's
Dracula.
Now
newly
remastered
and
accompanied by James Bernard’s acclaimed
orchestral score, it will be released on Blu-
ray by the BFI on 23 November 2015. Special
features include a video essay by Christopher
Frayling and the short films Le Vampire by
French filmmaker Jean Painlevé and The
Mistletoe Bough by early film pioneer Percy
Stow, which features a new score by Saint
Etienne’s Pete Wiggs.
As potent and disturbing now as ever, Nosferatu paved the way for the future of
gothic cinema. Max Schreck’s Count Orlok, bald, bat-eared and rabbit toothed, is at
once terrifying and pitiable, his need for blood, for living warmth is palpable to the
point of agony.
Featuring some of the most iconic images in cinema, Murnau's interpretation of this
great vampire tale has been much imitated not least by Werner Herzog, whose
Nosferatu the Vampyre is an admiring tribute.
Special features
Newly restored and remastered, presented in High Definition
Christopher Frayling on Nosferatu (Lynne Wake, 2001, 24 mins): video essay
on Nosferatu and F W Murnau and Albin Grau’s backgrounds and influences
Le Vampire (Jean Painlevé, 1945, 9 mins): Painlevé's study of the South
American vampire bat, an allegory for the Nazism that was sweeping
throughout Europe at the time
The Mistletoe Bough (Percy Stow, 1904, 8 mins): the oldest film version of a
classic Christmas ghost story restored by the BFI, featuring a new score by
Saint Etienne's Pete Wiggs
Image Gallery, featuring some of Albin Grau's original production drawings,
stills and designs for publicity materials
Fully illustrated booklet featuring film credits, film notes by David Kalat and
an essay on Albin Grau and Nosferatu’s occultist origins by Brian J Robb
Product details
RRP £19.99 / Cat no. BFIB1157 / Cert PG
Germany / 1922 / black and white and tinted / silent with English intertitles /
89 mins / Original aspect ratio 1.33:1 / 2.0 stereo PCM (48k/24-bit) and 5.1 DTS-HD
master audio
Press contact:
Jill Reading, BFI Press Office Tel: (020) 7957 4759
jill.reading@bfi.org.uk
BFI releases are available from all good home entertainment retailers or by mail
order from the BFI Shop Tel: 020 7815 1350 or online at
www.bfi.org.uk/shop
Images can be downloaded from
www.image.net
> BFI > DVD & Blu-ray releases
15 October 2015