Is E. Elias Merhige's SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE a vampire movie, or is it a
movie about a vampire movie or is it a spoof of a vampire movie? Yes.
And the film, which stars John Malkovich as director F.W. Murnau and an
unrecognizable Willem Dafoe as "actor" Max Schreck, who "plays" the vampire
Count Orlock, is deliciously funny as it takes itself quite seriously.

The clever script by first-time screen writer Steven Katz manages to eschew gore
and rely instead on a wickedly humorous relationship between Murnau and the
vampire, with whom Murnau has made a Faustian bargain.

In 1921 in Eastern Europe, Murnau is making a movie called NOSFERATU,
starring a real vampire, who is given the stage name of Max Schreck. Not
telling his crew the truth, Murnau, a lab jacket wearing director whom the
crew refers to as Herr Doctor, explains that Schreck is such an intense
method actor that he wears no make-up, works only at night and is to be
called only by his character's name of Count Orlock.

The director approaches the movie as if he were a blend of Sir Isaac
Newton and Cecil B. DeMille. "We are scientifically engaged in the creation of
memory," he lectures those around him. After Murnau enlists local peasants
for supporting roles, his producer, Albin Grau (Udo Kier), complains that
they can't act, but the director sets him straight. "They don't need to
act," Murnau barks at him. "They need to be."

Actors in silent movies were forced to use exaggerated gestures in order to
compensate for the absence of language. Dafoe, in a performance worthy of
Oscar consideration, has a blast chewing up the scenery in the silent
movie-within-the-movie in which he spends a large portion of his screen
time. With knobby, pencil-like fingers, long, gray fingernails, dog-eaten
ears and a bald head like a small meteorite, Dafoe looks so funny that
you're ready to laugh before he even moves or speaks.

As the crew becomes suspicious, the producer confronts the director,
demanding to know more about their lead actor. On location for his first
scene, the count emerges from a stone hole as the camera rolls. "Where did
you find him really," the producer insists. "In that hole," the director
replies, matter-of-factly.

The best part of the film is the bombastic chemistry between vampire and
director. "I'd like some make-up," the count squeaks before filming starts.
"Well, you don't get any!" his director chides him as a parent would a bad
boy. In another, Murnau gets angry at his star for eating important members
of the crew, which means that the production company has to bear the cost of
replacing them. "Why don't you eat the script girl?" Murnau suggests, since
she is more expendable. "The script girl," the count says, pausing to
think, "I'll eat her later."

Since in real life F.W. Murnau was a famous director who did indeed make a
film called NOSFERATU, perhaps SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE is more than a mere
comedy. Maybe it all happened just this way. As they say, fact is stranger
than fiction.

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE runs a fast 1:32. It is rated R for some sexuality,
drug content, violence and language and would be acceptable for teenagers.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com
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