Nosferatu: Graf Orlok (Max Schreck)

Comments for death : Nosferatu: Graf Orlok (Max Schreck).

Thanks for all the excellent grabs for this film Chris.
Out of interest, did you recolour them, or is that how they came out on DVD? It's strange as some frames are tinted sepia, some red and some blue.
I retouched a few blemishes (so they are digitally remastered grabs no less!) but didn't want to turn them black and white in case they were supposed to be as you sent them.

Do any of our UK visitors remember the Paul Whitehouse's "Fast Show" parody of Orlok I always found it one of the weakest sketches in the show...

No, Nosferatu was always like that, in funny colors.

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Bruno! Yes, yes, Lovely to hear from you too! No, no, ze vitness? Do not worry! I haff taken care of ze vitness. Yes, yes. Shoot him? What, ar-are you stupid? No, no I am not going to blow ze plane up! I... haff put snakes... on ze plane.

Like Mr. Briggs already said they were pretty much always like this. They are tinted as to indicate what time of day the scene is set in, so blues are naturally night time (of course!?!) and a mix of browns/oranges/yellows for the many shades of day. The edition I have of this (the somewhat fan-inferior Image Entertainment edition) from what I remember of the commentary explains that during the remastering they recoloured these to reflect the original tint of the transfer.

Considering the immeasurable controversy about the destruction of all the film reels, I'll be surprised if anybody can dispute the tinting job done on the transfer. Compared to the edition available through the Internet Archive, the Image version resembles a late nineties cinemascope film, and until somebody uncovers a perfect copy I don't think there'll be any better any time soon.