Grainy, flatly lit scenes shot with a jerky hand held camera in touristy locations devoid of atmosphere fail to create any illusion or suspension of disbelief. Herzog's insistence on realism falls flat, because ironically everything looks fake. It's just actors in costumes and makeup(they couldn't even be bothered to extend KInski's white face paint onto his neck). The constant continuity errors add to the sense of amateurish ineptitude. There are one or two good scenes, but overall it's just banal and dull. It has none of the austere, mystical beauty of Dryer or Murnau, none of the opulence and humor of Coppola. I've always held Herzog in awe, but this is just bad.
Review of Nosferatu the Vampyre
