Robert Eggers' Nosferatu explores themes of death and possession through the recurring motif of lilacs, with the flowers symbolizing Ellen's tragic fate and the film's overarching darkness.
Robert Eggers ' latest film, Nosferatu , is a haunting tale interwoven with a delicate floral motif: lilacs. These purple blooms appear throughout the movie, even as Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) and Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) Hutter strive to thwart the reign of the formidable vampire, Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Like many flowers in film and television, lilacs carry symbolic weight in Nosferatu . Their initial appearance seems beyond a simple gesture of affection, hinting at something deeper.
As the film progresses, these flowers become recurring presences, appearing in various sequences and contexts, suggesting their significance is far from coincidental.Ellen is constantly surrounded by lilacs. They first appear in an early scene where Thomas gifts Ellen a bouquet before embarking on a six-week journey to sell an estate to Count Orlok. Ellen, sensing their fleeting beauty, demands Thomas discard them, noting they will wither within days. This foreshadows Ellen's own tragic fate, as she succumbs to Count Orlok's terror within three days. Before Thomas departs, Ellen recounts a chilling nightmare where she marries Death, describing a strong scent of lilacs amidst the rain. When she and Death turn to face their wedding audience, she reveals everyone is deceased, the 'horrible' stench of their bodies a stark reminder of the decaying fragrance of wilting lilacs. This connection between lilacs and Death becomes increasingly potent as the film unfolds. In a poignant final act, Ellen chooses self-sacrifice to save her town, Wisburg, from a deadly plague. As Count Orlok enters her room, she wears lilacs in her hair, mirroring her wedding day with Thomas. Just like in her dream, she is enveloped by the scent of lilacs as Count Orlok drains her blood, leading to her demise before sunrise. When Thomas discovers their bodies, he is consumed by grief. Alchemist Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) enters, scattering lilacs across their corpses, perhaps to mask the scent of death. Nosferatu masterfully weaves lilacs throughout its narrative, from its opening scene to its final moments, emphasizing Ellen's association with both death and possession. Lilacs contain indole, a chemical compound found in both corpses and human sexual scents, placing them at the crossroads of sex and death, perfectly aligning with Nosferatu's themes and Ellen's character arc. Haunted by loneliness and carnal desires, her fate tragically intersects with Count Orlok's predatory nature.The lilac's symbolism extends beyond mere coincidence, drawing inspiration from Greek mythology. Its scientific name, *Syringa vulgaris*, originates from Syringa, a nymph relentlessly pursued by Pan, the god of the forest. Syringa escapes Pan's advances by transforming into a lilac bush, only to be found by Pan, who creates a flute from her transformed form, a poignant reminder of her eternal captivity. Ellen, much like Syringa, becomes a victim of a relentless, powerful force, culminating in her tragic demise
NOSFERATU ROBERT EGGERS SYMBOLISM LILACS DEATH POSSESSION ELLEN COUNT ORLOK GREEK MYTHOLOGY
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