No Escaping Nosferatu

“You can’t escape destiny by running away.” The old man walking along the streets of Bremen said it best. This phrase embodies the central meaning of the early vampire film, Nosferatu. The film follows the journey of a young realtor, Jonathon Harker, who takes a trip to meet with Nosferatu, also known as Count Dracula, who is supposedly looking for property in Bremen. He travels to Transylvania only to find that property is not what Count Dracula is interested in, rather fresh blood. Harker, bearing the fang marks upon his throat, hurriedly makes his way back home, meanwhile Nosferatu sneaks aboard a ship that also happens to be headed to Bremen.

One scene in particular fully captures the essence of this films meaning. The scene starts with Nosferatu and Harker sitting at the dinner table. Harker contently eats the food given before him, while Nosferatu anxiously reads the paper which he has so mysteriously drawn so closely to his gaunt, pale face. At this point nothing seems to be extremely out of place. It is only odd that Nosferatu does not eat with Harker; instead he quietly reads his paper and appears to ignore Harker’s presence.

Harker grabs a loaf of bread and knife, and then proceeds to cut a slice of bread, unknowingly cutting his thumb as well. The clock strikes midnight with a loud chime. Harker’s face freezes in freight while Nosferatu’s face appears from behind the paper, revealing his bushy eyebrows and haunting black circle around his right eye. His face gleams in anticipation for the feast to come. Harker is trapped in the vampire’s gloomy castle with no avoidance. The dreadful facade of Harker is one that is commonly seen in modern horror films. It is the moment where the “good guy” becomes aware that something dark and evil is about to happen. They are terrified that they probably will not be able to escape the villain, which generally they never do.

Harker notices the bleeding cut upon his thumb and reaches for a napkin to wipe away the oozing crimson blood. Jolting up from his chair, Nosferatu signals Harker to stop at once as he glides around the corner of the table towards him. “Blood! Your precious blood!” Nosferatu grabs Harker’s hand, lifting him from his chair. Terrified, Harker steps back one footstep at a time, but Nosferatu stiffly follows him with his tall, bony figure. The men continue this movement into what appears to be a living room, where eventually Harker stops moving backwards and stands in horror while Nosferatu creeps towards him. Now Harker is trapped; cornered in a room with no way of escaping. “Let us chat together a moment, my friend. There are still several hours until dawn, and I have the whole day to sleep.” Nosferatu signals for Harker to have a seat in the chair behind him. The scene ends with Nosferatu stepping towards Harker. One can only imagine that Nosferatu then, forcefully holds Harker and sucks his blood.