Dive into the terrifying world of cinema's first vampire, Count Orlok from "Nosferatu." We'll explore the most spine-chilling characteristics that make this character a nightmare-inducing icon of early horror cinema, revealing why he's still haunting viewers after nearly a century.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most chilling facts
00:07about the iconic villain from 1922's Nosferatu, a symphony of horror.
00:12Beware of a few spoilers.
00:20Number 10.
00:21Unflinching Gaze
00:22In the original silent film, Count Orlok, often mistakenly called Nosferatu, blinks
00:27only once.
00:33For the rest of the film, we're subjected to his unrelenting stare, a look that could
00:37only come from an undead monster.
00:40Unlike modern romanticized vampires, we're looking at you, Edward Cullen, Orlok's gaze
00:44is piercing, predatory, and utterly devoid of humanity, the absence of a basic reflex
00:50like blinking underscoring his alien nature.
00:53Orlok's cold, lifeless eyes strip away any semblance of empathy or mercy, leaving his
00:58victims stunned with horror and helplessness.
01:01It's this haunting, unflinching gaze that solidifies Orlok as one of cinema's most unsettling
01:06baddies.
01:12Number 9.
01:13Link to Rats
01:14Count Orlok's rodent-like features are hard to ignore.
01:21His pointed ears, jagged teeth, and clawed fingers evoke a striking resemblance to the
01:26mighty rat.
01:27This similarity is no coincidence.
01:29The 1922 film deliberately emphasizes this connection, portraying Orlok as not only rat-like
01:35in appearance, but also as a master of these vermin.
01:39At one point, he even summons an army of rats to spread the Black Death, leading to widespread
01:44death and despair.
01:51Orlok's association with the pests adds another layer of horror to his character.
01:55While he may appear somewhat human at first glance, he's ultimately driven by a primal
02:00thirst for blood.
02:02Number 8.
02:03Sun Allergy
02:04Here's something you might not know.
02:05The popular trope of vampires bursting into flames at the first touch of sunlight originated
02:10with Nosferatu.
02:18But Orlok meets his end when exposed to daylight, disintegrating in a frighteningly slow and
02:23agonizing manner.
02:24This marks a significant departure from the film's source material, Bram Stoker's 1897
02:29novel Dracula, in which the titular vampire dislikes sunlight but isn't destroyed by it.
02:39Orlok's sun intolerance heightens his eerie vulnerability.
02:42Despite his supernatural powers, he's ultimately defeated by a simple and natural force.
02:48This film's climax forever established sunlight as one of the most feared elements in vampire
02:52mythology.
03:00Number 7.
03:01Resistance to Stakes
03:02If you'll recall, Bram Stoker's Dracula could be defeated with the classic wooden stake
03:07to the heart.
03:10However, in Nosferatu, Count Orlok proves far more difficult to destroy.
03:17At the end of the movie, the virtuous Ellen discovers that the only way to destroy Orlok
03:22is to use a pure-hearted woman, i.e. herself, as bait.
03:32Just before dawn, she allows Orlok to enter her bedchamber, where he feeds on her blood
03:37until the rising sun destroys him.
03:39In the process, both Ellen and Orlok meet their demise.
03:43Orlok's undoing is creepily specific.
03:46Not only is he impervious to conventional weapons, but he can only be vanquished through
03:50the ultimate sacrifice of an innocent.
03:53Number 6.
03:54Lack of Humanity
03:55In contemporary vampire media, such as Anne Rice's work, these night dwellers are often
04:00depicted with a human side.
04:13These portrayals frequently cast them as morally complex figures, torn between their
04:18lust for blood and the existential burden of immortality.
04:21But that is not the case with Count Orlok.
04:27Unlike many incarnations of Dracula, there's nothing morally gray, conflicted, or even
04:32really human about Nosferatu's vampire, who is depicted as animalistic and grotesque in
04:37both appearance and motivation.
04:39There's no inner turmoil or ethical dilemma here.
04:42Orlok is evil embodied, just looking to bite some necks and wreak some havoc.
04:47Number 5.
04:48Contorted Movements
04:49It's hard not to admire Orlok's stealth.
04:52He has an uncanny ability to quietly stalk his victims, manipulating the shadows around
04:57him to stay hidden within the darkness.
04:59You'll also notice his movements are eerily slow, almost creating the illusion that he's
05:04gliding across the screen.
05:13Whether he's creeping up the stairs or looming over his prey, Orlok's deliberate pace forges
05:17a sense of dread.
05:18As if time itself slows under his influence, paired with the choppy, jerky editing style
05:23of early cinema, these motions make Orlok seem like a puppet controlled by some dark
05:28force.
05:35Number 4.
05:36Distorted Appearance
05:37While the 1922 film is an unofficial adaptation of Dracula, Count Orlok's grotesque appearance
05:43is a stark departure from Bram Stoker's original vision of the character.
05:47In the novel, Dracula is a suave, aristocratic figure who uses charm and elegance to ensnare
05:52his victims.
05:53Orlok, however, is the opposite of seductive.
05:56His lifeless, sunken eyes, rat-like teeth, and clawed fingers render him unnaturally
06:01eerie, stripping away any trace of humanity and emphasizing his animalistic nature.
06:10This portrayal distances Orlok from the dreamy vampire archetype that later dominated pop
06:15culture, creating a figure who's devoid of allure or romanticism.
06:24In other words, there's nothing sparkly about Orlok.
06:28Number 3.
06:29Connection to Disease
06:30Orlok is more than just a vampire.
06:36He's a symbol of pestilence and decay.
06:39As mentioned earlier, Orlok is strongly associated with rats.
06:43This connection paints him as a harbinger of death and despair.
06:46In Nosferatu, his first move after arriving in the town of Visborg is to sick plague-infested
06:51rats on his new neighbors, leading to a bout of the Black Plague that kills much of the
06:55population.
06:56The film includes this plot point to amplify the horror, portraying Orlok as an unrelenting
07:01force of destruction that leaves a trail of suffering wherever he goes.
07:05Interestingly, the filmmakers envisioned Orlok as a creation of the archdemon Belial,
07:10who was also linked to illness.
07:18Number 2.
07:19Grizzly Feasts
07:20Count Orlok's feeding scenes in the 1922 film may be called the most unnerving in vampire
07:25cinema, which is saying something considering he was the first movie vampire.
07:34When Orlok feasts, the attacks are raw and visceral, marked by a sense of inevitable
07:39doom as his prey struggles against his looming presence.
07:42The camera often lingers on Orlok's elongated fingers or creeping shadow as he closes in,
07:47providing a chilling build-up to the grotesque act.
07:50Plus, Orlok's victims never join him in the world of the undead.
07:54They're simply left drained of life.
07:56In this way, Orlok is more of a traditional killer than most modern film vampires.
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08:21Number 1.
08:22Ambiguity
08:23The makers of Nosferatu, who initially set out to adapt Dracula, were forced to alter
08:28their movie significantly to avoid legal repercussions.
08:36Although he is distinct from Dracula, we don't know much about Count Orlok, even after watching
08:41an entire movie about him.
08:43Was Orlok born cursed, or was the curse bestowed upon him?
08:46We know he's linked to Eastern European legends that predate Dracula.
08:56It's also said that he's the spawn of Belial, Satan's lieutenant demon.
09:00But otherwise, we're left largely in the dark.
09:03Yet it's Orlok's mysteriousness that's helped shape the future of vampire cinema, influencing
09:07the portrayal of these monsters as complex, enigmatic creatures.
09:18Did we miss any factoids about the OG movie vampire?
09:21Let us know in the comments.
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