Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a loyal adaptation of F. W. Murnau’s original gothic horror, which is in turn inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula. All three versions of this folk horror story explore many of the same themes, including the subversion of contemporary gender roles, the rise of industrialization, and, perhaps most importantly, the conflict between science and the supernatural world. Nosferatu‘s adherence to these important themes is one of the many reasons why it’s among the best horror remakes of all time, as it feels like a fitting exploration of ideas that both Stoker and Murnau set in motion.
At the heart of Nosferatu is Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), a supernatural vampire who travels to Victorian London to hunt down a young woman named Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), whom he became obsessed with many years ago. The film explores how Ellen’s friends are unable to use science to bring Orlok down, and must consult Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe), who is more familiar with the supernatural sphere, to prevent a great evil from overtaking the world. It’s a clear allegory for Victorian society’s shift towards science and reason, and Eggers does an excellent job of reminding audiences why this subtext is still relevant.
Von Franz Argues That Science Is Blinding Friedrich To The Truth
The Pseudoscientist Knows That Science Can’t Explain Everything
Von Franz is among the several Dracula character replacements in Nosferatu, essentially serving as this story’s version of the Van Helsing character — a bridge between the supernatural world of folklore and the natural world of science and reason. He serves a very interesting purpose in Eggers’ Nosferatu, bringing many of the film’s main characters into the world of the supernatural and obscuring their beliefs about science as their encounters with Orlok grow more dangerous. With every pᴀssing day under Orlok’s curse, Von Franz serves as a constant reminder to Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) and Ellen that not everything is exactly as it seems.
This helps promote one of Nosferatu‘s key themes: the idea of science and magic being in conflict with one another. Throughout Eggers’ film, his protagonists often turn to science and reason to explain the existence of Count Orlok and his supernatural powers. It’s not until Von Franz’s introduction that they begin to consider the possibility of magic being real. After this point in the story, it is Friedrich (Aaron-Taylor Johnson) who is the most obstinate in his “modern” approach, as the character who is often in conflict with Ellen when he isn’t willing to listen to her instinctual warnings.
Von Franz offers Thomas, Ellen, and their allies all the information they need to overcome Orlok’s curse, but they can’t do so until they leave their scientific worldviews.
This leads to Von Franz’s exclamation that summarizes this theme: “We are not so enlightened as we are blinded by the gaseous light of science. […] I tell you that if we are to tame darkness, we must first face that it exists!” Much like Van Helsing in Dracula, Von Franz offers Thomas, Ellen, and their allies all the information they need to overcome Orlok’s curse, but they can’t do so until they leave their scientific worldviews behind and embrace the unknowability of magic.
Von Franz Believes The Modern World Needs Ellen, Even Though She Might Have Been Celebrated In The Past
Ellen Is A Modern Archetype Of Femininity
There’s also an interesting parallel between Von Franz’s character and that of Ellen Hutter, as both are eager to accept the existence of magic and use it to their advantage in the fight against Orlok. But Ellen has something that her ally doesn’t because she’s a woman. The main difference between Ellen and Von Franz ties into Nosferatu’s themes of femininity, Sєxuality, and autonomy, which are also key themes in Bram Stoker’s original novel. Von Franz is unable to defeat Count Orlok by himself, and he recognizes Ellen’s power and the history behind it when he tells her:
“In heathen times you might have been a Great Priestess of Isis. Yet, in this strange and modern world your purpose is of greater worth.”
In the ending of Nosferatu, Ellen takes advantage of Count Orlok’s carnal thirst by sacrificing herself to his desires, allowing him to prey upon her and tricking him into standing in direct sunlight, which, as she’s learned from Von Franz, kills vampires. It’s the combination of Ellen’s female autonomy and Von Franz’s supernatural knowledge that ultimately brings Orlok down, promoting the story’s message that science alone isn’t enough to combat forces that defy the laws of nature. Instead, it’s human independence and a rich understanding of the occult that’s necessary to defeat this evil.
Scientific Advancement Has Made People Unable To Defend Themselves Against Monsters Like Count Orlok
Orlok Represents An Intangible Threat To Modern Society
In addition to promoting the research of supernatural pseudo-sciences, Nosferatu also proves why logic and reason may not be the all-encompᴀssing sources of knowledge that Victorian society believed them to be. The reason that Dracula was so frightening to contemporary readers was that the villain represented everything that went against the laws of nature, in a time when these laws absolutely dictated the way people thought about the world. Scientific advancements were making people believe humanity had gained a full understanding of the world. The vampire suggests that there are things that science can’t explain, and that’s infinitely more frightening.
Von Franz is the bridge between these two worlds, and he’s the only character who understands that science, reason, and logic have their constraints.
There are several differences between Dracula and Eggers’ Nosferatu, but this focus on the natural order conflicting with the supernatural is something that’s evident in both stories. Von Franz is the bridge between these two worlds, and he’s the only character who understands that science, reason, and logic have their constraints. They can’t explain everything, and if people can’t accept that, they are in danger. The heroes need somebody who can see past the authority of science to understand Orlok as he really is, and it’s not until they do as well that Ellen can ultimately use his supernatural magic against him.
Obviously, Magic Is Real In Nosferatu – Does The Story Condemn All Science?
Nosferatu Isn’t An Anti-Science Story
To what extent magic is real in Dracula and Nosferatu is still up for debate, but there are certainly limits to what science can explain in these fictional worlds. Whether it’s Orlok’s ability to curse his victims, or the fact that his downfall is ultimately rooted in folklore and archaic traditions, there’s obviously something about the character that can’t be affected by mere science. Science can be used to treat non-supernatural afflictions, but this is hardly what the story is about, despite Friedrich holding onto the belief that Ellen and later Anna (Emma Corrin) are ill.
Nosferatu is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
However, despite contrary evidence, Nosferatu doesn’t suggest that science is altogether useless. Characters like Dr. Sievers (Ralph Ineson) and Thomas Hutter prove that science and reason still hold value in this setting, but it takes figures like Von Franz to make them realize that it’s not the only important thing. Science must coexist with “magic,” whether that’s some kind of transgressive pseudo-science or merely folklore, in order for humans to develop a richer understanding of the world. This is what Stoker was suggesting with his original Gothic novel, and it’s this revolutionary ideology that has allowed the story to remain relevant for so long.
