Description Claim
The part in question begins on a night when Nina sleepwalks and heads to the terrace where Lucy follows her. Nina points out to Lucy that somebody is coming and that she is obliged to go and meet him in person. We are then taken to another scene at the Bremen harbor where we are shown the Demeter sailing into the port. Reinfield is locked up in a cell at the Sanitorium where he attempts to escape by climbing out through the window. The film is in the form of silent film, and the narrations, and explanations reveal that he is in shock that his master is coming. He then escapes from the cell as the master approaches.
Another narration appears on the screen stating that the character has wondered for a long time why Nosferatu travelled with coffins filled with soil. He states that he discovered not so long ago that vampires have to sleep during day time in order to preserve their supernatural power. They sleep in the same grounds in which their bodies were buried. There is a change of scene and we now see the Count carrying a big box which we later realize is a coffin from the harbor. He carries it straight to his new abode that he purchased in Bremen. Associational editing is carried out where the viewers see two scenes juxtaposed. The two are the Count’s return to Bremen and that of Harker’s return to the Westenra’s House. In a separate scene at the Westenra’s house, Harker returns and is received by Nina. Nina is very delighted to see him again. She thanks God because Jonathan is safe and that now she feels safe also.
Evaluation Claim
Nosferatu is an epic horror movie produced in 1922. It is a silent movie in nature like Charlie Chaplin and other movies produced at that time when there was no sound recording, and hence the actions in the movie have to be explained in the form of words that appear on the screen occasionally. The excerpt used for this evaluation runs from the fifty-fourth minute of the film to the sixty-first one. Within the range of seven minutes, a chain of events occur which together contribute in the development of the plot of the film. The part begins with the sleepwalking of Nina to the terraces at the Westerna’s house where she is joined by Lucy. The producer uses Nina to hint on the arrival of Harker, and this eventually happens a moment later. The film’s occasional explanation are well timed and sometimes reveal exactly what the character is saying or thinking. Also, the background tune blends well with the film and brings an aura of suspense and a lively mood in the audience.
In one instant, there is a narration of an omniscient character which explains why vampires and specifically Nosferatu travels with coffins filled with earth. This style of communication and explanation to the viewer reveals the mastery of the producer because he can sneak in the omniscient narrator to explain facts that may remain hidden if it is left for the other characters to explain. Continuity editing has been used throughout the section in order to make the film flow and be comprehendible by the viewer. For instance, the transition to when the Count carries the coffin to his new house in Bremen is a perfect example of continuity editing. After Nina says that she is ready to meet someone who is coming, the scenes move to the harbor where the Demer arrives and which makes us guess that there is a relation between Nina’s awaited visitor and the arrival of the vessel.
Interpretive Claim
When deciphering the film within the stated time intervals, Nina’s sleepwalking and finally suggesting “He is coming” may mean that Nina can perceive when a visitor is likely to come. Lucy joins her at the terrace of Westenra’s House. The arrival of Demeter at Bremen harbor is used symbolically to hint the arrival of the Count and Harker in their respective destinations. The producer may have used the silent film method as the main means of presenting the film not only because it was the best at that time but also because it creates continuous suspense and is more attention grabbing. He has used various theme songs in order to bring about liveliness among the audience as they watch a movie. Reinfield is used to demonstrate the cruelty that exists at that point in history where people owned slaves and treated them as commodities.
The coffins carried by vampires as revealed by the omniscient narrator are used to represent those who died and became Vampires. The film interval analyzed as a whole reveals a scared convict (Reinfield) and an affectionate woman (Lucy). When Reinfield refers to a person as a stranger, it shows that modern forms of slavery existed at that time. This is the reason that makes him break away
Works Cited
F. W. Murnau Nosferatu June 3, 1929 (USA) Web 27th 2/ 2014
Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyzubFvBsA
