The movie is rolling and on screen, Willem Dafoe’s character says, “Demonic spirits more easily obsess those whose lower animal functions dominate.” He is alluding that the female lead, Ellen (Lily Rose-Depp) is plagued by an evil because she is, for lack of a better term, horny. This might appear to be an astronomical leap, however, historically, sexual repression has been encouraged in women and no one adapted it better than Nollywood.
WHAT IS NOSFERATU?
A modern update to film promotion is creating popcorn buckets. From the DUNE worm-inspired ones to the Barbie car-shaped popcorn bucket, these have become tools to drive interest in a film… and a money source for AMC Theatres.
When the promotional campaign for the 2024 Nosferatu went live, a popcorn bucket was created to enhance excitement. The tin container was modelled after the vampire, the leading antagonist’s resting place. The pre-order cost $39.95; it was sold out before the movie hit the screens, underscored the public’s interest in the classic tale.
Even in Nigeria, online users panicked at the news that Nosferatu will not be in cinemas. The disdain came from enthusiasts and famous figures alike, with Álte singer, Cruel Santino, sparking a conversation on the lack of experimental films in the nation.
Despite the large cry for Nosferatu on the internet, the story is a rather shunned classic with many unaware of the source material. Its top Google search reads “Is Nosferatu Dracula?”
This question plagued fans of the first Nosferatu in the 20th century. Dracula was a controversial subject at the time. The 1897 gothic horror novel had been the subject of debate and was banned in several places.
However, none of those factors explain why Nosferatu exists. To answer the Google search, yes, Nosferatu is Dracula. But its reasons for not dropping the infamous vampire name are more legal than iconoclastic.
UNDERSTANDING NOSFERATU:
Nosferatu is a 1922 German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau. It’s an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, with names and details changed due to copyright issues.
The story follows Thomas Hutter, a real estate agent sent to Transylvania to meet a new client, Count Orlok. Orlok is a vampire who brings terror and plague to Hutter’s hometown of Wisborg, becoming obsessed with Hutter’s wife, Ellen.
The 2024 film is a remake of the classic 1922 film, directed by Robert Eggers, known for his atmospheric and historically grounded horror films like “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse.”
In the 1922 version, Orlok’s vampiric hunger can be interpreted as a symbol of repressed desires and the dangers of unchecked lust. However, the 2024 adaptation leans more into Ellen’s desires.
Ellen is portrayed as a woman who feels trapped by the societal expectations of her time. She’s intelligent and sensitive, but her connection to the supernatural is dismissed as “female hysteria.” This suggests that her “hysteria” might be a way of expressing desires and frustrations that she can’t otherwise voice in a repressive society. Count Orlok, in this interpretation, becomes a kind of embodiment of Ellen’s repressed desires. He’s a terrifying figure, but also strangely compelling. In a scene, she taunts her husband saying, “You never satisfy me like him.”
The film seems to suggest that Orlok’s allure lies in his ability to unleash the primal, forbidden aspects of human nature that Ellen is forced to suppress. With Ellen explaining, “I sought company, I sought tenderness, and I called out to it.”
Both Ellen and society at large view her desires with disdain. “He is my shame, he is my melancholy. All my sleeping thoughts are of him. Our love was supposed to be sacred,” Ellen screams out to Thomas as she grapples with understanding this darkness within her.
Her desire fuels Count Orlok’s hunger as he deceives Thomas (Ellen’s husband) into signing her to him, and then he travels to Wisborg (the town she lives in) and emotionally tortures Ellen into consenting to be with him.
Ultimately, Ellen has the last laugh– which costs her life. She tricks him into thinking she consents but instead keeps him distracted with her blood until the sun comes out and kills him.
This blood sacrifice is reminiscent of early 2000s Nollywood movies. Nevertheless, the sharpest connection is punishing or shaming women for exhibiting primal desires.
NOLLYWOOD CORE:
Nollywood is notorious for sticking it up to the promiscuous woman. Stories like Domitilia (1996), Blackberry Babes (2011), Shakira (2009), and The Prostitute (2002) showcase women who choose a life of strategic dating– strictly falling in love with rich men and prostitution meeting horrible fates as a result of their moral failings.
One could argue that it is Nollywood appealing to Nigeria’s conservative nature and not the same whiff of misogyny seen in the Nosferatu era (1800s). However, in each of these movies, the men are as promiscuous as the women and yet they rarely have a reckoning moment of shame.
In many of these films, powerful men who exploit women (sugar daddies, corrupt politicians, or ritualists) often get away with their actions. In Domitilla and Blackberry Babes, the men were portrayed as victims of deceitful women. While some men were swindled or humiliated, they typically didn’t face life-altering consequences like death or complete ruin.
Not to say all old Nollywood movies had an imbalance of the suffering from the sin of promiscuity. While the “promiscuous man suffers” trope exists, it’s also important to note criticisms of how Nollywood sometimes portrays these issues. Several times there is a double standard present, where men are forgiven, and women are vilified.
MEET THE PROMISCUOUS WOMEN OF NOLLYWOOD:
A “promiscuous woman” in Nollywood is a female character who is sexually liberated, has multiple partners, or uses her body as a tool for personal or financial gain. She often defies the conservative expectations of Nigerian society, which traditionally values women’s chastity and submissiveness.
Common types of promiscuous women in Nollywood include: The Gold Digger, the Home Wrecker, the Seductress, and the Party Girl. A woman could be tagged promiscuous by being an extrovert or adhering to societal beauty standards, frequent use of wigs, makeup, and excessive jewellery.
This trope is deeply rooted in society’s expectations about women’s sexual behavior and morals, and it reflects Nigerian cultural beliefs toward gender and sexuality. It is often contrasted with a “virtuous woman,” reinforcing the idea that promiscuity is a moral failing.
The portrayal of women in films like “Glamour Girls” offers a complex commentary on societal attitudes towards promiscuity and the consequences women face for their sexual choices. The narrative frequently positions female characters within a framework that suggests punishment for their behaviour, often reinforcing traditional moralistic views.
In an Afrocritik piece, writer Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku analyses the archetypes within this troupe. “Nollywood is famous for many things, one of which is its very problematic portrayal of women. For decades, Nigerian filmmakers have utilised various sexist tropes in telling stories, from love stories to cautionary tales.”
Nwajiaku writes that Nollywood fails to consider the real life effects these stereotypes have, “It places sole responsibility on women for actions that are taken by both women and men, or only men. And we see this blame game play out in several scenarios in real life, including situations where rapists hide under claims of indecency and seduction.”
Similarly in Glamour girls, characters like Doris and an unnamed prostitute represent a new wave of independent women who challenge patriarchal norms by seeking financial independence through relationships with affluent men. However, as they navigate a world filled with desire and transactional interactions, the consequences of their choices become apparent. The film implies that while these women assert their agency, they also encounter various forms of fallout—a theme that resonates with societal beliefs about the consequences of sexual liberation.
More recently, in films like Tanwa Savage (2021). Tanwa Savage explores themes of infidelity, family, and modern relationships. The film centers on Jola Savage, a man pressured to have children. He engages in multiple extramarital affairs, resulting in three pregnancies, including his wife’s. He forces them into a shared living space where his wife primarily conflicts with the mistresses. The film takes a sharp turn when the husband discovers his wife’s infidelity and potential paternity fraud, leading to her expulsion, a move that highlights a stark double standard where his indiscretions are downplayed.
The centuries-old message it conveys is clear: promiscuity is a grave offense—but only for women.
HOW NOSFERATU STRAYS FROM THE NOLLYWOOD FORMAT:
The 2024 adaptation of Nosferatu serves as a compelling exploration of repressed desires and societal expectations, echoing themes that resonate deeply with Nollywood narratives. While the film updates the classic tale through a modern lens, it also highlights the historical struggles women have faced in expressing their desires.
Through the character of Ellen, the film critiques the societal norms that demonize female sexuality and presents Count Orlok not just as a figure of horror but as a catalyst for exploring the depths of human longing. This intertwining of horror and desire invites audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about repression and the consequences of societal judgment. This is an extra depth to Nosferatu that is predominantly missing from Nollywood. The film affirms that the conversation around women’s autonomy and desire remains as relevant today as ever.
Nigeria’s conservative stances have prevented our movies from fully challenging our biases. Our biases are as ingrained in us as the English alphabets. This is probably why despite writing about the forced sexual repression on women in films, I still began this article with an apologetic tone for using the word, horny.