Silent horror movie, released in 1922. The official title is "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens". Directed by F. W. Murnau and written by Henrik Galeen. Starred, among others, Max Schreck as Count Orlok.
One of the more recognizable examples of German expressionism, the film was an unauthorized adaptation of "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. The filmmakers were sued by Stoker's widow, and all known copies of the movie were destroyed. Of course, some were hidden, and the film has survived to the present day.
The plot follows the plot of "Dracula" quite closely, with the primary exception of all of the characters being renamed (though most have been restored to Stoker's original names in the passing decades, with the exception of Orlok). The main difference is that at the end of the film, Orlok is destroyed by sunlight instead of a Bowie knife through the heart.
Unlike the vampire in the novel, Orlok is portrayed as a bizarre, ratlike monstrosity, with a bald head, pointed ears, and pointed, snaggly teeth, who becomes less human as the film progresses. His movements are stylized and inhuman, and there is none of the nobility usually attributed to vampires nowadays.
Max Schreck himself is a mystery. "Schreck" is German for "fear", so most critics believe that his name was a stage name. We don't know what his real name was. We don't know if he appeared in other films or plays. We know nothing about him.
Favorite line: "Is this your wife? She has a lovely throat."
Addendum: wertperch reminds me that the absolutely wonderful alterno-horror film "Shadow of the Vampire" focuses on the mystery of Max Schreck's real identity and is definitely worth a rental or three...
Addendum II: avalyn points out that we now know a lot more about Max Schreck than we used to. Apparently, that was his real name, and he appeared in numerous other movies. Lots more excellent biographical info can be found in anthropod's writeup on Max.