Nosferatu (2024)

 

I suppose I understand the nominations in several technical categories for the most recent version of Nosferatu, the vampire film that keeps alternating with Dracula in terms of being remade. It is certainly stylish in its way, and the costumes and sets and general atmosphere of the film are all very evocative and contribute a great deal to the feel of the film. However, it seems to me that it’s almost all atmosphere and very little substance. I was, frankly, bored because I’ve seen this film before. It’s not really all that different from the classic 1922 version, and it even has moments when it seems to copy Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola’s vampire film from 1992. It does seem to be a matter of style over substance. Other than giving Lily-Rose Depp’s Ellen Hutter more of an active role in the plot that previous iterations, I can’t really see what the point of the remake is. It’s certainly grosser and more disgusting than previous versions, particularly in the depiction of Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgard). Otherwise, it’s a lot of very attractive people (Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin) and some rather odd people like Willem Defoe, who always seems nowadays to be acting in a different movie than the one he’s actually in. Is this really that much of a retelling? Other than giving us a bit more backstory with Ellen seeking help from a demon and a bit about some gypsies, what really sets this apart so much from other vampire movies other than in its more technical achievements. So, as I said, I get it, I guess, but why spend all that money just to tell a story with which we’re already familiar? I just think there were other choices perhaps more deserving of nominations, more original works than this retread of a movie we’ve seen many times before.

Oscar Nominations: Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Production Design, and Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Written on the Wind (1956)

 

When an actor or a movie star learned that they were going to be in a Douglas Sirk movie like Written on the Wind, they must have been very excited. They knew that they would always look their best in the movie because they would be wearing nothing but stylish clothing. They would never look scruffy or disheveled; everyone looks beautiful in a Sirk movie. They would also be performing on soundstages that displayed some of the most thoughtful and thorough attention to the details of set design. Everyone and every place looks just gorgeous in a Sirk-directed film, no matter how destitute or despairing the situation of the plot. Even the people who are supposed to be lower income are always impeccably dressed, and a dive bar looks like a rather reputable location, frankly. Such is definitely the case with Written on the Wind, one of Sirk's best films and an almost perfect example of the style he brought to his films. Look at how Lauren Bacall’s Lucy Moore Hadley and Dorothy Malone’s Marylee Hadley are dressed in this melodrama. There's not a single misstep in their costumes even if you wonder sometimes why anyone would go through all the trouble to wear one of those gowns or why they seem, um, overdressed at times. Rock Hudson’s Mitch Wayne (how butch is that name!) and Robert Stack Kyle Hadley are almost always in tailored suits and hardly ever look like they've broken a sweat even after a fight, and there are lots of fights. And the sets are just as fantastic. Who wouldn't want to live in homes like these or work in offices like these? Whether it's New York or Florida or Texas, no one has second-class surroundings. Why this film and others like it weren’t nominated for their exquisite production design is a mystery. Of course, beneath the surface of all these accoutrements that the wealthy display, there's a lot of psychological damage. The Hadleys, a family made rich from oil production, had plenty of demons, what with Kirk’s drinking and womanizing and Marylee’s rather wanton pursuit of every man in sight. She wants to bed Mitch, but they and Kirk grew up almost like siblings, so he’s never going to sleep with her. Of course, their lifelong closeness doesn’t keep Kyle from stealing Lucy away from Mitch before the poor geologist even has a chance. However, the causes of this kind of behavior are never visible if you only pay attention to the beauty of the surroundings, but Written on the Wind slowly lets you see the dangers underlying these beautiful people and their lovely clothes and their fantastic homes. Perhaps Sirk was trying to tell us something.

Oscar Win: Best Supporting Actress (Dorothy Malone)

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Robert Stack) and Best Original Song (“Written on the Wind”)