Robert Eggers explores the folklore roots of ‘Nosferatu’.

In a recent piece for the Guardian, director Robert Eggers delves into the deep folkloric origins of vampires and how those early legends have shaped his upcoming adaptation of Nosferatu. Known for his meticulous attention to historical accuracy in films such as The Witch and The Lighthouse, Eggers emphasizes that his interpretation of the classic vampire story draws heavily from ancient folklore rather than the refined, romantic image of vampires in modern times. culture.

“We’re all drawn to archetypal stories. Fairy tales, fairy tales, myths, myths: we see them again and again because they always have meaning in our lives. We can always see reflections of ourselves in Hansel and Gretel, Oedipus and King Lear. They can mean different things at different stages of our lives and be interpreted in different ways by people sitting in the same audience,” Eggers writes.

While acknowledging the cultural significance of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Eggers does not hesitate to criticize the author’s literary style, stating, “Although I like the book, I have to admit that Stoker was a bit of a hack writer. His brilliance was in his synthesis of many sources’ credits Stoker with incorporating elements from earlier vampire literature, including John’s The Vampyre Polidori, who introduced the archetype of the aristocratic, seductive vampire.

Eggers highlights the significant change that vampires underwent as they moved from folklore to literature and finally to film. The folkloric vampire, he notes, was a far cry from Hollywood’s charismatic, cape-wearing aristocrats. “The vampire of folklore is not noble. The vampire of folklore is not a cheerful seductress wearing a dinner jacket. The vampire of folklore is a corpse. A dead corpse.”

These folkloric vampires, Eggers explains, were closer in appearance to modern depictions of zombies—soaked in blood, their skin decaying, and their presence more associated with disease. They often drowned victims instead of drinking their blood.

Discussing his creative approach to Nosferatu, Eggers emphasizes his desire to return to these darker roots: “I felt a responsibility to make the vampire as scary as possible. This couldn’t be a glittering vampire,” he states, referring to Twilight. His research led him to accounts from the Balkan and Slavic regions, where vampires were deeply embedded in local folklore.

Eggers concludes with a reflection on one of Nosferatu’s most iconic traits: the fear of sunlight. While Murnau’s 1922 classic is often credited with introducing the idea of ​​vampires being destroyed by daylight, Eggers clarifies that this, too, has roots in folklore. Folk vampires were not inherently vulnerable to sunlight, but were bound to darkness and forced to return to their graves before dawn.