As Persephone is consumed by Pluto in the underworld each winter solstice, so is this movie released.
She is forced to walk in the material world of "death" and "hell on earth" until she goes into her dreams for the other half of the day (the Gods compromised with Pluto to have her released from the underworld half of the time), where she is able to nourish her soul and become reborn in the spring of sleep.
That's my esoteric interpretation of the movie (:
Thanks for embracing the dark, so we may yet find the light Magdalene.
Nailed it. I’ve been reading reviews all day after a great showing and I’m really impressed with your analysis. It really reflects all the cues and choices I felt I got from Eggers throughout the film, as well as fitting hand in glove with my own knowledge of the world.
>In Eggers’ world, the Devil is real, he is evil, and he consorts with witches who kidnap infants and use their entrails for flying ointments. By the end of the film, Thomasin has become one such witch, herself.
Excellent point implicit point here that the conditioning to frame things in a certain way is so deep and pervasive that if at any point "this is a metaphor for her sexuality" is introduced into the mind of the viewer, only one conclusion is even thinkable - only one authorial intent is imaginable - no matter how clearly the alternative is spelled out.
"Well, if kidnapping infants and using their entrails to make ointments is the price then I guess that's the price - there's no alternative"
I prefer your interpretation of the film. The idea that Count Orlock’s desire for the pretty Ellen tortures her. It’s less that he is a product of her desire, more that she suffers most from his desire to possess and use her body. Friedrick is also tortured by the loss of his family, I loved that you included him and didn’t make the typical comment that family is a prison. In this story, marriage and family are the only reasons for living. Brava.
Your analysis is interesting, but I did not find the film itself to be interesting. While allegory you suggest makes sense, the characters were underdeveloped and the story far too dependent on convoluted exposition for me to give a shit. I suppose it was kind of nice to look at, and LRD did give a good performance, but I wish I’d’ve just instead watched the 100-year old Murnau version again.
I'm not sure that I agree! I think there is a reading of the film in which Orlok is quite straightforwardly an object of Ellen's appetite. Ellen faces the conflict between this appetite and her desire for a romantic, proper and "moral" life with her husband. The tragedy is caused by the following
1. Obviously, this is an unfortunate choice to have to make -- you can't have the complete package
2. The "moral" (and certainly socially-approved) choice is also the one which will condemn the town to the plague, hence Van Helsing saying "God is beyond our morals!"; the indication here is that (human) morality is tragically misaligned with what will actually save the lives of the plague's / Nosferatu's victims
3. Ellen doesn't really have a choice in the matter, which is why we don't get a scene or even any indication that she is mulling over what to choose. She knows what she must and will do. See also Van Helsing's lines "In vain! In vain! You run in vain! You cannot outrun her destiny! Her dark bond with the beast shall redeem us all..."
The film is about (i) the very real tradeoff that exists between love and sexual appetite, (ii) how the fact this tradeoff exists is horrifying to confront, and (iii) how the answer to this tradeoff is not as simple as the moralising attitude of "well, then you should choose love over getting off, duh!" because there are disastrous consequences from denying desire just as much as from succumbing to it.
Unfortunately, I do not have the time to review or read my emails. I am entirely unable to dedicate any time to reading incoming emails.
All decisions regarding the review, reading, and reporting of emails from my official account are entrusted to a student whom I have authorized. However, I take full responsibility for any responses sent.
Those with inquiries in the fields of philosophy of mind, neuroscience research, or neurophilosophy are kindly requested to contact the faculty by phone for coordination. Their specialized questions will be addressed at the earliest opportunity.
Sincerely,
Masoud
Leider habe ich keine Zeit, meine E-Mails zu überprüfen oder zu lesen. Es ist mir vollkommen unmöglich, mich mit eingehenden E-Mails zu befassen.
Alle Entscheidungen bezüglich der Überprüfung, des Lesens und der Berichterstattung über E-Mails von meinem offiziellen Konto liegen in der Verantwortung eines von mir autorisierten Studenten. Die volle Verantwortung für alle Antworten liegt jedoch bei mir.
Personen mit Fragen zu den Bereichen Philosophie des Geistes, Neurowissenschaftliche Forschung oder Neurophilosophie werden höflich gebeten, sich telefonisch mit der Fakultät in Verbindung zu setzen, um eine Koordination zu ermöglichen. Ihre fachlichen Fragen werden so bald wie möglich beantwortet.
As Persephone is consumed by Pluto in the underworld each winter solstice, so is this movie released.
She is forced to walk in the material world of "death" and "hell on earth" until she goes into her dreams for the other half of the day (the Gods compromised with Pluto to have her released from the underworld half of the time), where she is able to nourish her soul and become reborn in the spring of sleep.
That's my esoteric interpretation of the movie (:
Thanks for embracing the dark, so we may yet find the light Magdalene.
Nailed it. I’ve been reading reviews all day after a great showing and I’m really impressed with your analysis. It really reflects all the cues and choices I felt I got from Eggers throughout the film, as well as fitting hand in glove with my own knowledge of the world.
I think 1897 got spell-corrected to 1987?
(Feel free to delete after reading.)
thank you, fixed!
>In Eggers’ world, the Devil is real, he is evil, and he consorts with witches who kidnap infants and use their entrails for flying ointments. By the end of the film, Thomasin has become one such witch, herself.
Excellent point implicit point here that the conditioning to frame things in a certain way is so deep and pervasive that if at any point "this is a metaphor for her sexuality" is introduced into the mind of the viewer, only one conclusion is even thinkable - only one authorial intent is imaginable - no matter how clearly the alternative is spelled out.
"Well, if kidnapping infants and using their entrails to make ointments is the price then I guess that's the price - there's no alternative"
I prefer your interpretation of the film. The idea that Count Orlock’s desire for the pretty Ellen tortures her. It’s less that he is a product of her desire, more that she suffers most from his desire to possess and use her body. Friedrick is also tortured by the loss of his family, I loved that you included him and didn’t make the typical comment that family is a prison. In this story, marriage and family are the only reasons for living. Brava.
Your analysis is interesting, but I did not find the film itself to be interesting. While allegory you suggest makes sense, the characters were underdeveloped and the story far too dependent on convoluted exposition for me to give a shit. I suppose it was kind of nice to look at, and LRD did give a good performance, but I wish I’d’ve just instead watched the 100-year old Murnau version again.
I'm not sure that I agree! I think there is a reading of the film in which Orlok is quite straightforwardly an object of Ellen's appetite. Ellen faces the conflict between this appetite and her desire for a romantic, proper and "moral" life with her husband. The tragedy is caused by the following
1. Obviously, this is an unfortunate choice to have to make -- you can't have the complete package
2. The "moral" (and certainly socially-approved) choice is also the one which will condemn the town to the plague, hence Van Helsing saying "God is beyond our morals!"; the indication here is that (human) morality is tragically misaligned with what will actually save the lives of the plague's / Nosferatu's victims
3. Ellen doesn't really have a choice in the matter, which is why we don't get a scene or even any indication that she is mulling over what to choose. She knows what she must and will do. See also Van Helsing's lines "In vain! In vain! You run in vain! You cannot outrun her destiny! Her dark bond with the beast shall redeem us all..."
The film is about (i) the very real tradeoff that exists between love and sexual appetite, (ii) how the fact this tradeoff exists is horrifying to confront, and (iii) how the answer to this tradeoff is not as simple as the moralising attitude of "well, then you should choose love over getting off, duh!" because there are disastrous consequences from denying desire just as much as from succumbing to it.
Geez, that's 10 minutes I'll never see again.
Interesting take! You might consider mine, as well: https://open.substack.com/pub/isabelacervantes/p/nosferatu-and-substance-dependent?r=546na&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Viewed from the perspective of what it's like to date a girl with BPD, that film could be a documentary.
Unfortunately, I do not have the time to review or read my emails. I am entirely unable to dedicate any time to reading incoming emails.
All decisions regarding the review, reading, and reporting of emails from my official account are entrusted to a student whom I have authorized. However, I take full responsibility for any responses sent.
Those with inquiries in the fields of philosophy of mind, neuroscience research, or neurophilosophy are kindly requested to contact the faculty by phone for coordination. Their specialized questions will be addressed at the earliest opportunity.
Sincerely,
Masoud
Leider habe ich keine Zeit, meine E-Mails zu überprüfen oder zu lesen. Es ist mir vollkommen unmöglich, mich mit eingehenden E-Mails zu befassen.
Alle Entscheidungen bezüglich der Überprüfung, des Lesens und der Berichterstattung über E-Mails von meinem offiziellen Konto liegen in der Verantwortung eines von mir autorisierten Studenten. Die volle Verantwortung für alle Antworten liegt jedoch bei mir.
Personen mit Fragen zu den Bereichen Philosophie des Geistes, Neurowissenschaftliche Forschung oder Neurophilosophie werden höflich gebeten, sich telefonisch mit der Fakultät in Verbindung zu setzen, um eine Koordination zu ermöglichen. Ihre fachlichen Fragen werden so bald wie möglich beantwortet.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Masoud