This article contains spoilers for the ending of Nosferatu (2024).Bill Skarsgård reveals what challenges were faced in filming the end ofNosferatu. The Robert Eggers' adaptation retells the classic gothic tale of vampire Count Orlok’s (Skarsgård) obsession with a young woman, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp).TheNosferatucastincludes Skarsgård, Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, and Ralph Ineson.The newest adaptation has been critically acclaimedand is thus far performing well at the box office. At the time of writing, the film had brought in over $56 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing horror movies of 2024.
Speaking withCinemaBlend, Skarsgård discussed the difficulties he faced in filming the ending ofNosferatu. The Count Orlok actor described the sheer amount of prosthetics he wore when playing the titular vampire as “covered in latex, full body.” While filming for the final scene,the team had to do 30 takes. Skarsgård became exhausted because hebegan sweating through his layers of makeup. The sweat even “created this giant bubble on [his] stomach.” Check out the full quote below:
In terms of the sweat? Not on the face. There was nothing on the face. Everything is like, I’m covered in latex, full body. The only surface of ME is my eyeballs and the soles of my feet. That was the only thing. Everything was covered. And when we were doing the finale, the final moment of the movie, we did 30 takes of it. Without spoiling it, it’s a lot of physical performance. So you’re completely exhausted, and you’re sweating through. What started happening, because there was nowhere for the sweat to escape, it just created this giant bubble on my stomach. It started growing like a tumor. And then between takes, they had to pierce it. … And then on top of that, fake blood and sweat and saliva. It was a gory mess.
What This Means For Nosferatu
The Ending Is A Technical Feat
TheNosferatuendingsees Skarsgård’s vampire character come to Ellen’s home for one final time. In a moment that is both violent and passionate,Orlok holds Ellen down to her bed as he feeds on her, sucking blood from her chest. This is the “fake blood” that Skarsgård describes, which is plentiful in this final sequence. Though Ellen has succumbed to Orlok, she also causes his demise, luring him in just before sunrise. As the sunlight floods Ellen’s room at daybreak, the vampire villain is scalded, withering away, and dying atop Ellen.
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This final sequence reads as highly emotional, but Skarsgård’s account provides anintriguing counterbalance to the difficulty of the technical aspects. Given the amount of prosthetics and practical effects used in the sequence, it makes sense why the production had to shoot the scene so many times. The execution contrasts with the original 1922Nosferatumovie. Max Schreck’s Count Orlok is also shown sucking on Ellen, but it doesn’t resonate with the same powerful emotions and visuals as Eggers' version. Updated technology plays a key part in elevating the scene from the silent film, which also means more technical considerations.
Nosferatu Should Get Recognized For Its Technical Achievements
Image via Focus Features
Ultimately, I believe thatNosferatusucceeded on both fronts by the end of the film. Skarsgård’s statement is a testament to how much labor was put into the makeup to craft the “gory” and ominous feel that is essential to the film. As the nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards approach in just a few weeks, it will be interesting to see whetherNosferatugets recognized for its achievements in the makeup field.
Nosferatu
Cast
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
