PETA plans to protest a screening of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu over the film’s depiction of rats as the cause of the bubonic plague.
PETA is planning to protest an upcoming screening of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The organization plans to send a giant rodent to the screening to “set the record straight” about scenes in the film that inaccurately associate them with spreading the bubonic plague.
PETA’s Director of Animals in Film and Television Lauren Thomasson said: “A human is no more likely to be harmed or killed by a rat in real life than by a vampire, and false portrayals of these animals as harbingers of death deny viewers the chance to see them as the intelligent, social and affectionate individuals they are. The only ‘pests’ moviegoers need to be concerned with are directors who subject animals to the chaos and confusion of a film set, and PETA encourages everyone to see through these shameful stereotypes and give rats the respect they deserve.” The giant rat will carry a sign that reads, “Rats Have Rights! We Didn’t Cause the Plague!“
Eggers used thousands of rats for the scene, but production designer Craig Lathrop told Variety that none of the rats were lost. “We found all of them. They were all there,” he said. “We built these plexiglass barriers so that the live rats would be in a controlled area. In the scene on the street, the horses are on one side of the plexiglass barrier, and the rats are on the other, so that the rats wouldn’t run underneath their feet and get squashed, so nobody would get hurt.“
Our own Chris Bumbray was a big fan of Nosferatu, calling it the “scariest vampire movie in ages” in his review. “This is one of the most lovingly made horror films in some time, with Eggers likely having set out to create a definitive version of the tale,” Bumbray wrote. “It’s long been his passion project, and you can tell. For me, this is up there with the best films of the year, and probably the only horror film I’ve seen recently that sent a true chill up my spine. Of all the films I’ve seen this year – and there have been a lot – this one seems to have the best chance of becoming a classic.” You can check out the rest of his glowing review right here. Nosferatu will hit theaters on December 25th.
