Parents' Guide to

Shadow of the Vampire

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Vampire satire has some creepy moments.

Movie R 2001 92 minutes
Shadow of the Vampire Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

BestPicture1996
BestPicture1996 Adult
October 26, 2014
age 15+

Alternative history movie is interesting!

This film has a very limited audience...what casual moviegoer is going to rush out to see a fictional behind the scenes story about a 1922 silent movie? However, being a movie buff, it appealed to me, and it seemed creative! It was, and the hype about Willem Dafoe's role as Max Shreck is so much fun to watch, he just gets lost in it, playing a vampire playing an actor playing a vampire, it's pretty meta! The cinematography is interesting, and the makeup of course on Dafoe is incredible. It's an homage to the original "Nosferatu" and to silent movies in general, and even though I wanted a little more from it, it is an original and interesting film in the vampire genre!

This title has:

Too much sex
metal321
metal321 Adult
July 7, 2009
age 17+

Vile and Sadistic, Utterly without any Redeeming Value

I am usually the sort that yawns at violence in movies, but I thought the scene toward the end of this movie where the vampire murders a woman was incredibly violent and disturbing. I would call it a kind of pornographic violence for people who like to see women dying in a violent and sadistic manner. I am also shocked that you do not mention this in your 'need to know' up above. Instead you talk about it being "satiric, comic, and creepy." I don't quite see how any of those descriptions fit the vile ending of this movie and I think many parents will be shocked and feel mislead by this unbelievable description of this disgusting movie.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The story of Dracula has been filmed dozens of times, but one of the most unforgettable is the silent German film, Nosferatu. Director F.W. Murnau was not able to get permission to film Dracula, so he changed all the names and went ahead with it anyway. His title character was so bizarre and creepy that there were even rumors that Murnau found a real vampire to play the part. SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE plays on this rumor. Murnau (John Malkovich) finds a real vampire to play the part. The director must race to finish filming before his star finishes off the cast and crew. The vampire (Willem Dafoe), introduced as "Max Schreck," observes to Murnau that "you and I are not so different." Both are single-minded in pursuit of their goals, regardless of the consequences for others. Both have a kind of everlasting life. But there are differences, too. Light is what makes Murnau's form of everlasting life possible -- he is always seeking the light he needs to be able to tell his story through film. Schreck is always hiding from light, which can destroy him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The highlight of Shadow of the Vampire is Dafoe's performance as Schreck. Unrecognizable under all the make-up, he manages to be witty, menacing, charming, and even sympathetic. Malkovich has the intensity for Murnau and is excellent shouting his direction to his cast and crew. English comedian Eddie Izzard is fine as the leading man. The art direction is superb, especially when we see them filming and the picture fades into a re-creation of the black and white original.

The movie has some witty jabs at filmmakers of all eras. Murnau responds to one crisis by saying that "It may be advantageous because it makes the crew very edgy and I like that," and there is a very funny exchange with Schreck about which members of the crew may be expendable. It makes some good points, but ultimately just stops rather than ends.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way that Murnau and Schreck were willing to sacrifice anyone around them to get what they wanted in Shadow of the Vampire. The leading lady tells Murnau that live audiences give her life while a camera takes it out of her. How does that differ from Murnau's view?

  • What does it means to say that someone is "chasing an altogether different ghost." Does everyone chase a ghost of some kind? Which ghosts were Murnau and Schreck chasing?

Movie Details

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