Robert Eggers’ gothic horror Nosferatu adapts the story by F. W. Murnau with some imaginative reinventions. One variation of the tale integrates a character known as Van Helsing, but in the movie, he goes by a different name. The simplicity of Nosferatu, alongside the director’s deep appreciation for the 1922 silent film, prompted Eggers to pursue a remake instead of an adaptation of Dracula. This decision allowed Eggers to uniquely integrate material from numerous different iterations, drawing on elements like Dracula‘s Van Helsing or Murnau’s empowering of the female lead, who emerges as the heroine at the end of Nosferatu.

Unlike the romanticized portrayals that have been prevalent for decades, Eggers’ reimagining offers an extremely different approach. Nosferatu returns to the traditional horror aesthetic of vampire lore and pushes audiences to confront the intricate nature of desire and its darker sides. ᴀssisted by Nosferatu‘s superb cast, the movie attempts to revive the genre and has since been recorded as one of the most influential films of 2024. However, the feature offers more than the complexities between Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgård) and Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), with Willem Dafoe’s unique portrayal of Van Helsing being the most noteworthy element of Nosferatu.

Willem Dafoe’s Albin Eberhart Von Franz Is An Adaptation Of Van Helsing

Dafoe Has A Long History With Nosferatu’s Source Material

Eggers integrates elements of Murnau’s original version of the story in the character portrayed by Willem Dafoe: Albin Eberhart Von Franz, an occultist who uses his knowledge for good. Albin Eberhart is quite literally named after Albin Grau, a producer and set designer on the 1922 silent film who was credited with the idea of making a film inspired by Dracula, as well as Jungian psychologist Marie-Louise von Franz.

That being said, Von Franz’s character also directly draws inspiration from the Abraham Van Helsing figure in Bram Stoker’s 1897 Dracula novel, as 1922’s Nosferatu is considered an unauthorized adaptation of Dracula, with nearly all the main characters being such parallels. Murnau’s original Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror also features a character analogous to Van Helsing, though he’s known as Bulwer and played by John Gottowt. On the other hand, Dafoe has a deep connection to the tale of Nosferatu.

The actor previously portrayed the vampire in E. Elias Merhige’s Shadow of the Vampire, giving him firsthand experience with the source material long before his role in Eggers’ new take on the classic German Expressionist film. In fact, Eggers notes how Shadow of the Vampire became a “very important movie,” which made Dafoe “very happy to” portray this ideation of Van Helsing (via Den of Geek.)

How This Version Of Van Helsing Is Unique

Dafoe’s Von Franz Is Far More Practical In 2024’s Nosferatu

There are numerous differentiating qualities between Dafoe’s Von Franz and the traditional depiction of Van Helsing. The aristocratic polymath doctor who was created by Stoker has proven to be the most enduring portrayal of Van Helsing in film, often driven by faith and serving Christian morals. However, compared to other approaches, Dafoe’s Von Franz uses more esoteric practices to fight the forces of Nosferatu. Just as occult folklore informed Grau, it also served as the foundation for Eggers’ depiction of Dafoe’s Albin Eberhart Von Franz, bestowing the character with “early-to-mid 19th century learned occult knowledge” (Den of Geek.)

Thus, the 2024 Nosferatu version of Van Helsing explores a darker side of folklore, which in and of itself is far different from the traditional role of the character. There are far greater Jungian themes at play in Eggers’ adaptation, which allows Von Franz to have a more pragmatic approach in his methods. Dafoe’s scenes in Nosferatu frequently highlight this. For instance, Von Franz reveals: “We are not so enlightened as we are blinded by the gaseous light of science. I have wrestled with the Devil as Jacob wrestled the Angel in Penuel, and I tell you that if we are to tame darkness, we must first face that it exists!“

Source: Den of Geek