Nosferatu, príncipe de las tinieblas

Nosferatu in Venice (1988)

** (out of 4)

Klaus Kinski returns to the role of Nosferatu in this Italian film that was originally suppose to be a follow-up to Herzog's 1979 film. After various production issues including two director's being fired, the film ended up pretty much being 100% on its own with the only connection to the earlier film being Kinski. In the film, vampire hunter Paris Catalano (Christopher Plummer) travels to Venice, the last known location of the vampire Nosferatu (Kinski). Catalano tries to locate the whereabouts of the vampire who he believes has a desire to finally die. This is a rather interesting failure that has a lot going for it but it's obvious the production issues caused a lot of problems especially during the first part of the movie. The film starts off very ambitious as it centers on the Plummer character in current times but we then have several flashbacks to the earlier days of Nosferatu and how he became who he is. This was an interesting idea but it never really works for several reasons and one of them is a bizarre rock score that doesn't fit anything we see. Another reason these flashbacks never work is because at times it's hard to follow what exactly is going on and why certain flashbacks might be happening. Then, around the fifty-minute mark, something strange happens and the film actually turns extremely entertaining as Nosferatu finds himself in current times and falling in love with a young black lady who might just hold the key to his eventual death. Yes, Kinski drove several directors away from the film and this is partly to blame of the uneven film but you also have to give him credit because he turns in a great performance. He has his long blonde hair flowing and there's no chalk make-up so we get to see this Nosferatu in a very human-like state and the actor makes us feel sorry for this person who simply won't die. I found Kinski really intense throughout the film and this certainly spills over for several entertaining scenes but I think the romantic side works the best. Plummer is also pretty good in his rather thankless role and we even get Donald Pleasence in a role but he's pretty much wasted. Barbara De Rossi and Anne Knecht are both good as the ladies in the pack. Augusto Caminito, Mario Caiano, Luigi Cozzi and Maurizio Lucidi all did some work on the film but it was Caminito who ended up shooting the majority of the film. Even Kinski was apparently in charge of directing his scenes so who knows what was really going on with this production. It's certainly a very troubled movie but at the same time there's just so much here that does work in the end. We get some rather strong atmosphere and being 1988 and from Italy, there's much more sex, nudity and blood than normal, which is a plus. I doubt art house fans are going to enjoy this thing but if you're a horror fan and like Kinski then it would be worth your time to check this out. It's certainly not going to replace the Herzog film but it's an interesting little movie.

Nosferatu (dir. F. W. Murnau, 1922) is regarded as a masterpiece. To be honest, I enjoyed Werner Herzog's remake (1979) far more - Klaus Kinski's performance in the title role was perfect; repellent and charismatic in equal measure. So I've been looking forward to seeing this hard-to-get-hold-of "sequel" for years.

Oh dear, what a disappointment. This film is a confused mess.

If "Vampire in Venice" were less conventional, it could be Art-house or Surrealist Cinema. And then its fogginess might be to its advantage. But... it just isn't.

Whereas its' predecessors were directed with a spark of genius, "Vampire in Venice" had a history of directorial dithering - and boy does it show. Despite some excellent cinematography, great sets and a (potentially) strong cast, the film is so weakly directed that it falls apart almost immediately. The cast is wasted. The plot is incongruous. The characters are under-developed and their motivations are anyones' guess. The whole is deeply unsatisfying. Of course, Barabara De Rossi is utterly gorgeous, Plummer has some gravitas and Kinski is OK, but without a firm hand at the rudder, we are on a gondola to nowhere.

Only the film's few saving graces allowed me to watch to the end. One for the curious only, I fear.

A vampire hunter (Christopher Plummer) goes to Venice where the infamous vampire Nosferatu (Klaus Kinski) was last seen 2 centuries ago, and soon Old Two Teeth starts biting necks again, as old habits die hard. Traditional methods like sunlight or the sign of the cross do not scare Nosferatu, but it is said the love of a virgin might be dangerous to him, is any of the ladies interested?

It's not a good movie, it's not a bad movie, it simply is a pile of various bits and pieces, ranging from genius to rubbish. After several directors were fired, producer Caminito finished the movie somehow - I imagine it must have been a case of "it's better to make a painful break than draw out the agony". Venice, however, is a perfect setting for a vampire movie with its ancient, dark, decaying buildings. The warm, colorful carnival scenes provide stark contrast for the cold blue light of the early morning chases when Nosferatu is looking for victims. Unfortunately, when the tension is rising, often something ridiculous happens, for example the attempt to shoot the vampire with a shotgun (results in a cannonball hole to see through) which will immediately destroy the efforts. It's too clumsy to appeal to an art movie audience (who may have enjoyed Herzog's Nosferatu) and too confusing to be Saturday night fun for horror flick fans. Under the circumstances of its production, it's no surprise that 'Nosferatu a Venezia' failed, but I admit it is at least an interesting failure which is not just another vampire movie.

I watched the Italian language DVD which has no subtitles in other languages.

I haven't seen this film for years but it has left lasting images and atmospheres in my mind. I seem to recall the score being really interesting aswell. The camera and cinematography from what i can remember was amazing.- Showing gondalas sailing through the fog in Venice, a stunning location to say the least. It also boasts one of the prettiest actress's ever, in the shape of De Rossi. All this together with Kinski creeping around as Nosferatu makes for essential viewing.

Intended as an unofficial sequel to Werner Herzogs' 1979 rethink of the silent classic from 1922, this decent horror film does manage to get some things right, even if it's not completely satisfying. A professor named Catalano (a very earnest Christopher Plummer) is called to modern-day Venice to investigate the last known appearance of the title fiend (Klaus Kinski, reprising his role in his next-to-last performance) at a local carnival in the 18th century. After he and others hold a seance, they come to learn what Nosferatu really desires most, but it remains to be seen if they're up to the task of defying him - much less destroying him.

The script here is not always terribly coherent in terms of explaining character stories and motivations, but this picture still contains plenty of potent atmosphere. The change of setting works to its advantage, and overall the story is taken QUITE seriously, with little to no humour to speak of. Interestingly, our heroes are portrayed as rather weak, making the haunted, sad-eyed antagonist a more compelling character. And Kinski is able to deliver one of his lower-key performances. That doesn't mean, however, that Nosferatu doesn't have his bestial, savage moments. And for a character who supposedly would welcome his own demise, he is always able to successfully thwart his nemeses' efforts.

One major asset is the lovely music score, partially composed by Luigi Ceccarelli and partially derived from Vangelis' album "Mask". The use of imagery is excellent, and the picture does have arty inclinations although it also takes the time to include some female nudity. The cast, also including such names as Greek actor Yorgo Voyagis ("Jesus of Nazareth") and Donald Pleasence ("Halloween"), is variable, but Pleasence himself can be quite amusing, especially when he's hamming it up near the end.

Worth a look for Kinski fans, and especially people desiring an atypical vampire saga, this reportedly employed several directors, including the credited one (Augusto Caminito), Luigi Cozzi, and even Kinski himself.

Seven out of 10.