The Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, will present “Nosferatu” (1922), the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula,” with live music Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m.
The screening will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating music for silent cinema.”
“Nosferatu,” directed by German filmmaker F.W. Murnau, was among the first movies to use visual design to convey unease and terror. Max Schreck portrays the title character, a mysterious count from Transylvania who travels to the German city of Bremen to take up residence.
In the town, a rise in deaths from the plague is attributed to the count’s arrival. Only when a young woman reads “The Book of Vampires” does it become clear how to rid the town of this frightening menace.
Murnau told the story with strange camera angles, unusual lighting, and special effects that include sequences deliberately speeded up.
Although “Nosferatu” is suitable for all family members, the overall program may be too intense for very young children to enjoy.
The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was an unauthorized adaptation of Stoker’s novel, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain rights to the novel. Thus “vampire” became “Nosferatu” and “Count Dracula” became “Count Orlok.” After the film was released, Stoker’s widow filed a copyright infringement lawsuit and won; all known prints and negatives were destroyed under the terms of settlement.
However, intact copies of the film would surface later, allowing “Nosferatu” to be restored and screened today as audiences originally saw it.
Admission is $10 per person. Tickets are available online at theparktheatre.org, by phone at 603-532-9300 or at the door.