Faust (1926)

F.W. Murnau's last German production before leaving for Hollywood is a visually dazzling take on the Faust myth. Pushing the resources of the grand old German studio UFA to the limits, Murnau creates an epic vision of good versus evil as devil Emil Jannings tempts an idealistic aging scholar with youth, power, and romance. The handsome but wan Swedish actor Gosta Ekman plays the made-over Faust as a perfectly shallow scoundrel drunk with youth, and the lovely Camilla Horn (in a part written for Lillian Gish) is the young virgin courted, then cast aside, by Faust. The drama falters in the middle with a tedious courtship and bizarre comic interludes, but the delirious images of the opening (Jannings enveloping a mountain town in his dark cloak of evil) and the high melodrama of the climax (Horn desperately clutching her baby while crawling, abandoned and lost, through a snowstorm) triumphs over such shortcomings. The sheer scale of Murnau's epic and the magnificent play of light, shadow, and mist on his exquisitely designed sets makes this one of the most cinematically ambitious, visually breathtaking, and beautiful classics of the silent era. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Good Murnau film in parts, creaky in others

The great 1920's German film industry turned out fantastic productions with world class directors such as F.W. Murnau at the helm. This one has a great beginning that features still impressive special effects. The story, however, is a a morality tale steeped in medieval thinking (angels, devils, etc.). The middle part is quite dull and slow moving. I fast forwarded through this one. December 5, 2008

What would you sell your soul for?

What would you sell your soul for?

This is the question posed by the Faust tale, told by Marlowe, by Goethe and here by the incomparable F W Murnau.

As usual, Murnau is a master of creating mood and so the scenes with Mephisto are dark and forboding. The scenes with old Faust are tinted as if with age and the scenes of young Faust almost burst off the scene with their electric energy.

A master of the moment, Murnau uses a rush of pictures to tell his story. The dark Mephisto, all hawk winged poses over of the people. The weary old Faust cringes in terror as he helplessly uses the finger of his healing to dam off the incringing plague. The resigned Faust agrees with Mephisto a one day trial to heal certainly all instead of maybe a few. The young Faust beams radiantly in the glow of love. The distraught Faust sacrifices all to save his love.

And finally "liebe" love itself litterally beats the devil.

Owing to its gravity and potential for being sacarine, the Faust tale requires a true master for its telling and this movie shows just how well F W Murnau is suited to the task...so suited in fact that he deserves to be watched along with those who've read Marlowe and Goethe. September 24, 2008

Fantastic Classic Silent Film

F. W. Murnau's final movie is a dramatic telling of good versus evil. A combination of music, lighting and shadows and scenery create a masterpiece of cinema to last through the ages. September 23, 2008

Faust

Cinematic brilliance in scope, production design, and execution define F.W. Murnau's "Faust." The film is a must see by all especially those who appreciate cinema as an art form. Murnau's legacy resides in company with the most visual filmmakers. He wastes little cinematic time with generic images of actors heads, and instead focuses on conveying his ideas through the moving image.

The film draws the viewer in with opening shot of skeleton death riders moving through smoke and wind on their demon horses. The images are both surreal and tactile allowing the viewer to access them as a dream and as reality. This balance of fantasy and tangibility is rarely seen in contemporary films due to the reliance on computer generated images.

The stylized low key lighting adds great contrast. The light and dark does much to emphasize the divinity of heaven and the cursed prince of darkness. Faust himself is heavily back-lit with a halo rimmed around his disheveled hair. This halo signifies his and man's connection to God and gives the viewer hope in Faust's eventual redemption.

An image that catches one's attention is the image of the prince of darkness gleaming over a bed that contains the young Faust and a princess. Faust has given himself over to the lust of youth. Here the devil gleans over a canopy bed and triumphantly closes the curtain on Faust and the princess.

The film is not without flaws. The strong visuals slow up in the middle and the brilliance of the first forty minutes molds into a theatrical display of humor and plot as the devil flirts with Gretchen's Aunt Marthe. The reading of these events seem better suited for the theater and less suited for cinema.

Despite this setback, "Faust" should be regarded as one of the best films ever committed to the screen in both philosophical text and pure cinematic strength.

Perhaps, a better restoration of the film could reawaken audiences' interest, as it did with "Metropolis." August 9, 2008

A Most Unpredicatable Journey

Familiarity with neither Marlowe's "Tragedy of Doctor Faustus" nor Goethe's "Faust" will prepare you for this Murnau masterpiece. It is a film that truly surprises, clearly echoing its protagonist's own journey from greatness to aimless indecision, unintended disaster, and finally a strong resolution. This insanely brilliant yet highly uneven work is a clear and beautiful transition from the fantastic expressionistic horror of Murnau's "Nosferatu" to the dark and stunningly beautiful tragic romance of "Sunrise." It is almost schizophrenic in its scope, but it pays off masterfully in the end.

"Faust" begins as a stylized satanic horror film, rife with the most absolutely jaw-dropping special effects that would not be outdone for decades to come. At the heart of this first act is (unsurprisingly) Faust, a spiritual, saintly man who is forced to play Job to a quarreling Angel and Devil. Unfortunately, Faust has his breaking point and descends, brilliantly, into the world of the damned. For the first hour of the film, we are subjected to cinematic wonder after cinematic wonder as Murnau and crew constantly manage to top each and every visual that they throw at you. Even when Faust signs away his soul and seems to lose all of his dramatic potential, the visuals keep you glued to your seat.

About an hour into the film, though, the film takes an abrupt turn. Just as Faust becomes bored and indecisive with his newfound powers, Murnau seems to become bored and indecisive with the direction of his powerful film. It descends into a black comedy which, although humorous at points, feels highly tedious and out of place. Fortunately, as this chapter wraps up after approximately 30 minutes, it's purpose becomes clear.

The film then transitions into a gritty tragedy about Gretchen, Faust's love interest introduced in the previous act. Like the previous one, this dark and depressing act seems to come out of nowhere, not even featuring Faust and seemingly having little to do with the story begun in the first act.

However, just as Gretchen's fortunes take an even greater turn for the worse, the film makes a stunning transition, leaping to life with brilliant action, drama, effects, camera work, and acting. For the rest of my life, I doubt that I will ever forget Gretchen's primal cry for Faust, visually transcending distance and the boundaries of Hell itself. The film ends soon after, but not before delivering gorgeous, dramatically saturated moment after moment. The end leaves you with a feeling of elated sorrow -- something I never would have expected from what began as an expressionist horror film.

In the end, Faust is a wonderfully cruel love tragedy, soaring with emotion even higher than it ever soared with the best cinematic imagery of its day. "Faust" is a must see for anyone that shares an equal love for satanic horror and divine tragedy. You'll get both in equal measure, here.

Regarding the transfer itself, Kino does an adequate job, but there's certainly room for improvement. The transfer has its share of jumps, scratches, imperfections, and minor over-all graininess, all while suffering from seemingly poor contrast. It's absolutely watchable, but I'd love to see the Murnau Foundation take this film to the next level, making it shine in the way that it deserves to. I do have to say that the score on Kino's release is incredible, though, absolutely complimenting and nurturing every aspect of Murnau's masterpiece with a Wagner-inspired energy. I'd hate to watch this film without it. August 7, 2008

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