A new production from the Austin-based group Silents Synced, directed by Josh Frank, pairs F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent vampire classic Nosferatu with Radiohead's albums Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001). The result, titled Radiohead X Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, aims to offer a fresh approach to silent cinema by accompanying it with music from established stars.
However, this attempt at reinvention falls flat. The Radiohead music, not composed for the film, neither illuminates nor intensifies the narrative. Instead, it plays arbitrarily alongside the images, creating a disjointed experience akin to watching a movie while a neighbour's music blares too loudly.
While there are occasional moments where an image seems to serendipitously align with the soundtrack, these are rare and require significant effort to identify. The production largely ignores the intentional form and structure of both the film and the albums, reducing both sound and image to mere wallpaper.
This misguided concept contrasts with more successful silent film revivals, such as the Pet Shop Boys' 2005 score for Battleship Potemkin or live orchestral accompaniments for Abel Gance's Napoleon. In those cases, music was composed or adapted specifically to enhance the cinematic experience, rather than being arbitrarily imposed.
