Director
F. W. Murnau
Born 28 December 1888 · Bielefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany — died 11 March 1931
F. W. Murnau (1888–1931) was a German director and a leading figure of silent-era cinema and German Expressionism. He is known for atmospheric imagery and fluid, inventive camera movement. His best-known works are the horror classic Nosferatu and the Hollywood melodrama Sunrise, both still widely studied.
Key films
Nosferatu (1922)On Cinespective
His most famous film, an unauthorised Dracula adaptation that became a landmark of Expressionist horror.
The Last Laugh (1924)
Celebrated for its mobile "unchained" camera and for telling its story with almost no intertitles.
Faust (1926)
A lavish German production of the Faust legend, showcasing his command of light, shadow and special effects.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)On Cinespective
His Hollywood debut and most critically acclaimed film, regularly ranked among the greatest ever made.
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)
His final film, shot on location in the South Seas; he died shortly before its release.
Key awards
No major personal awards are documented here, though his film Sunrise won at the first Academy Awards ceremony.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 30
- 1920SatanDirector
- 1920The Head of JanusDirector
- 1920The Hunchback and the DancerDirector
- 1920Evening – Night – MorningDirector
- 1921The Haunted CastleDirector
- 1921Journey into the NightDirector
- 1921Desire: The Tragedy of a DancerDirector
- 1921The Boy in BlueDirector
- 1922NosferatuDirector
- 1922PhantomDirector
- 1922The Burning SoilDirector
- 1922MarizzaDirector
- 1923The ExpulsionDirector
- 1924The Last LaughDirector
- 1924The Finances of the Grand DukeDirector
- 1924The Film in the Film · as SelfActor
- 1926FaustDirector
- 1926TartuffeDirector
- 1927Sunrise: A Song of Two HumansDirector
- 1927Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans · as Dancer (uncredited)Actor
- 19284 DevilsDirector
- 1928The Movie City of Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1930City GirlDirector
- 1930The Twelfth HourDirector
- 1931Tabu: A Story of the South SeasDirector
- 1940Hunting in the South SeasDirector
- 2002Los 5 Faust de F. W. Murnau · as Himself (archive footage)Actor
- 2003The Way to Murnau · as Himself (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Murnau, Borzage and Fox · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 2023Synthwave Horror: NosferatuDirector
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.