Last Saturday B and I checked out another one of the EEEF events in Spitalfields market, this time a screening of the classic silent horror - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror) usually just shortened to Nosferatu. The film was directed by German Expressionist F. W. Murnau and released in 1922 as an unofficial film adaptation of Dracula. It seems the rights to the story were never formally purchased and so it follows the general theme of Stokers classic but names and details have been changed e.g Count Dracula becomes Count Orlok (played most creepily by Max Schreck).
Max Schrek as Count Orlok
In this instance the film was accompanied by an incredible soundtrack by Minima, featuring the soaring vocals of Paul Ayres’ Queldryk Choral Ensemble. There was also a projection based installation by artist Lucy Jones. The film was great, I hadn't actually seen it before and it really is a classic and bizarre bit of surrealism as well as a beautifully shot film with plenty of moody chiaroscuro delivered by Fritz Arno Wagner's cinematography. The score was also excellent and the 60 strong choir definitely brought a chilling edge to the performance that worked brilliantly in the cavernous market. I was however, a little dissapointed in Jones' installation which seemed lack-lustre and was positioned too high to make any real impact. I really liked the idea; shadows and silhouettes of scenery from the film moving slowly across a series of banners suspended above the audience (this is my kind of thing). It really lacked in execution though and looked more like an after-thought rather than the "walls of the market being alive with creeping shadows" as it was advertised. In fairness to Lucy Jones though this is something quite difficult to pull off and I cant help but wonder if there were budgetary and administrational complications that led her to water things down. On the whole though another great event, good work EEFF!
The classic shadow of Count Orlok climbing the stairs
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