Only twelve of F. W. Murnau's twenty-one films survive, and of those several are in a very incomplete state. But they include some of the enduring masterpieces of the cinema, among them The Last Laugh, Nosferatu, Sunrise, and Tabu. Lotte H. Eisner's famous study, first published in France eight years ago, is in part a critical interpretation, containing first-hand accounts of his working methods and detailed analysis of his films. For this first English-language edition the text has been extensively revised and expanded ; and the complete script of Nosferatu, with Murnau's own working notes and alterations, has been included.
Only twelve of F. W. Murnau's twenty-one films survive, and of those several are in a very incomplete state. But they include some of the enduring masterpieces of the cinema, among them The Last Laugh, Nosferatu, Sunrise, and Tabu. Lotte H. Eisner's famous study, first published in France eight years ago, is in part a critical interpretation, containing first-hand accounts of his working methods and detailed analysis of his films. For this first English-language edition the text has been extensively revised and expanded ; and the complete script of Nosferatu, with Murnau's own working notes and alterations, has been included.