For the most part, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu proved to be a faithful take on a story that’s been told in cinema for over 100 years now. But a century later, changes were inevitable – not just this version having dialogue, but a different interpretation of Count Orlok himself. This time, he’s not a vampiric creature per se, but the reanimated bloodsucking corpse of a Transylvanian nobleman – complete with controversial lip-fuzz.
Yes, Nosferatu’s fabulous moustache proved a sticking point for some viewers. “I get that,” Eggers tells Empire in a new deep-dive interview on the film. “It’s a hard pill for some people to swallow.” Not that he has any regrets. “But I also don’t care, because there’s just no fucking way that this guy wouldn’t have a moustache,” he says. “I love the way Max Schreck looks too [in Murnau’s original], and it’s a change. So, fair play, as people say over here.” Succumb to the moustache, people!
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As Nosferatu hits home video, it arrives with a slightly longer Extended Cut – one that reinstates more of the Orlok-grasping shadow-play, snipped after test screenings. “When 85 per cent of the people say there’s too much shadow, I don’t know, maybe there’s too much shadow,” Eggers reasons. “On the other hand, when all the VFX are done and the music’s done and the pace is right, I think probably that shot could have been in there, but at the time, it did feel like I was going overboard with the shadow.” It’s Nosferatu, bigger, longer and uncut – just like that moustache.