Nosferatu and Snow White

Hello, Ulisses da Motta Costa here again.

References are essential elements when you are making a film. The references help to create narrative, visual, acting and sound conceptions. Cast and crew debate references all the time.

But sometimes, a reference comes in a subjective manner, because it’s already within the project. That’s what happened to Kassandra.

When we were going for the second draft of the screenplay, writter Roger Monteiro and me discussed the need for a good character presentation for Kassandra. Roger came up with a good Idea, involving her and a bird. 

As soon as I read the new scene, I remebered Nosferatu (1922), a horror expressionist classic. Not because of the movie itself, but because of the presentation of the female character, played by Greta Schröder. Our scene was kind of a distant echo of Nosferatu.

“Such a great reference”, I thoght. I called Roger on Facebook chat:

Me: Dude, I really liked Kassandra’s introduction. Reproduces the heroin's trajetory in Nosferatu. It is coincidence or inspiration?

Roger: No. It came from Snow White.

Me: The scene just became even BETTER.

Unbelievable how things live in our cultural unconsciousness. I was exulting with the unexpected relation between two cinema classics. So pretentious from our part. I love  both movies and I’d always though that Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1938) was kind of a horror movie. It’s dark and sinister -- the evil queen metamorphosis is just horrible.

Anyway, we become sure that we’re in the right track when the references come up naturally.