The Roots of Nosferatu's Vampire Concept Prove to Be More Primordial Than Previously Understood
The Roots of Nosferatu's Vampire Concept Prove to Be More Primordial Than Previously Understood
"Dracula's Shadow" had its premiere on Christmas, and judging by its box office performance, it appears that horror enthusiasts were eager to witness Bill Skarsgård's chilling Count Orlok, whose visual transformation was so closely guarded before the release, on the silver screen. David White, the movie's prosthetic makeup artist (known for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy, The Crow, The Marvels, and The Northman), has recently shared an intriguing behind-the-scenes detail regarding the film's shocking climax.
If you haven't had the chance to witness Robert Eggers' latest masterpiece...
At the end of the movie, the vampire meets his end through the only possible means: the sun's rays, while being distracted by Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), who selflessly allows herself to be Feaster Orlok's object of unspeakable darkness at the perfect twilight hour. Her demise is as morbid as it is gothically captivating; his demise, on the other hand, is simply... repellent. Given Eggers' penchant for meticulous detail, White's account of how they crafted Orlok's dual-death appearance is not entirely unfamiliar, but it is aptly horrifying.
"Robert wanted to seamlessly transition from Orlok's agonizing screams to the final shot of him lifeless on Ellen," White recalled in an interview with Variety. "I presented Robert with various models of bodies in various stages of decay and decay. He was insistent on capturing the sensation of Orlok having every last drop of life and blood drained from him. Our primary inspiration came from a photograph of a rediscovered body of a 5,300-year-old iceman discovered in the Alps."
The end product is a blend of practical effects and VFX, White explained. "Once the practical effects were complete, they were integrated into the scene, and then the corpse and Bill in his final appearance were scanned using VFX to enhance the transition moment between the two appearances."
Making the desiccated "remnant" even more gripping is the fact that White's other work in the film aimed to maintain Orlok's age uncertainty—to keep him ageless and mysterious. "I was particular in limiting the wrinkles and obvious character lines, ensuring the appearance was more sparse and lacking hoods over his eyelids and eye bags," White shared with Variety. "He had to be appealing and charming to Ellen and hide his putrid decay through shadows as camouflage."
The sun is merciless, no matter who you are—but especially so if you're an ancient vampire. Dracula's Shadow is now playing in cinemas.
Keen to know about the latest releases in Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek? Or, perhaps, curious about the future of the DC Universe on film and TV? And, what about the anticipation for the future of Doctor Who? All the answers can be found here!
The upcoming movie releases, including those from the Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek franchises, as well as information about the DC Universe and Doctor Who, can be found on io9. In the future, advanced technology in movie-making could potentially allow for even more realistic depictions of death and decay, as seen in the final scene of Dracula's Shadow.