If there is a novel that laid the foundations for gothic terror, that was dracula. the echoes of Bram Stoker remained in time until in 1922 the German director Friedich Wilhem Murnau He decided to take it to the cinema without having the rights to the work yet. Thus, set in 1838, he changed Transylvania for the fictional Wisborg and the story of Jonathan and Mina for that of the young man Hutter and his wife Ellen. The obscure real estate agent Knock decides to send Hutter to close a deal with the conde Orlok. Once in his castle, he is received by the sinister count and, the next day, he wakes up with two small marks on his neck, which he interprets as mosquito bites.
Considered by specialists as the darkest of the tapes that have ever been filmed about the mythical vampire, Nosferatu was so convincing that shortly after its release, rumors began to circulate about the possibility that its protagonist, Friedrich Gustav Max Schreck, was not actually a human actor, but a real vampire. The chosen posture and its gothic appearance they were terrifying for viewers and his legend grew as details about his private life became known, starting with his last name, which in German meant terror.
There are rumors that he was abandoned at the gates of a variety theater, so he grew up an orphan. At a very early age he would have ended up in the world of acting to earn a living and soon showed his great talent for acting, which took him to various German theaters. There he discovered Max Reinhardt, important theater and film director. It did not take long for him to make his film debut with the film drums in the nightthe work of the acclaimed playwright Bertolt Brechtand in 1920 he got his first major role in The Judge of Zalamea. That expressive-eyed actor was ideal for silent movies and in a very short time he achieved stardom.
His appearances on the big screen caught the attention of F.W. Murnau, the main disciple of Reinhardt and the greatest exponent of expressionist horror in cinema. For the director, the well-known vampire had to represent a monster, a terrifying killer who showed no trace of his human nature and choose this hermetic, reserved and cold-looking man for his disturbing character it was the best of his decisions. Especially when she realized that he was a actor of the full-fledged method.
Schreck demanded that both on and off stage he be referred to as Orlock. In fact, he did not allow the director to share his real name with anyone. In addition, he would always appear characterized and had no relationship with his companions. Instead, slipped into the darkest corners of the recording set and devoted himself to analyzing the behavior of his partners. Some even say that on one occasion the producer called him by his name and this threatened to bite him. That aura of mysticism ended up affecting the entire team, especially when Murnau decided to humor him and spread the idea that he paid him in blood.
After the premiere, the producers continued feeding the possibility of its monstrosity and many came to wonder if they really saw the true face of a vampire. Only after the actor’s death was his real name revealed, but by then he had already been eternally linked to that of Nosferatu.
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