Features: DVD
Fresh from the triumphant releases of Nosferatu and The Last Laugh, F. W. Murnau was given carte blanche to direct this epic fable of the supernatural. Freed from the burden of plausibility by the story's fantastic premise, Murnau summoned forth a tempest of cinematic brimstone so that every scene ripples with reckless ingenuity.Utilizing the full resources of the UFA Studios (including elaborate miniature models and experimental special effects), Faust captures the intensity of a medieval universe steeped in religious fanaticism and pagan alchemy. Black-hooded pallbearers lead a torchlit procession through a plague-stricken village literally cloaked by the wings of Satan. Crowded landscapes materialize and vanish in wisps of smoke, demonic cratures soar through the heavens and earthly beings are tormented by the vaporous spirits that permeate the dungeon-like homes and Caligari-esque rooftops of this shadow world. In the eye of this infernal maelstrom is the great Emil Jannings (Othello), who sets off the film's sound and fury with a diabolically engaging performance, making Faust "a radiant jewel...a masterpiece." (The New York Times) Music composed and conducted by Timothy Brock, performed by the Olympia Chamber Orchestra.
Editor's Note
Murnau's FAUST stars the inimitable Emil Jannings as Mephistopheles, to whom the hapless and aging Faust sells his soul for renewed youth as well as wealth and power. Based on Goethe's interpretation of the age old legend, Murnau merely uses the story as a starting point for an incredibly phantasmagoric vision of the struggle between good and evil. Beginning with a flourish, Murnau introduces Mephistopheles with one of the most famous sequences in film history, finding Jannings being birthed as a disgusting, primordial creature from the heavens and banished to the netherworld. Baroque, bizarre, and unforgettable, FAUST is one of the German master's greatest triumphs. Silent movie with English and German subtitles. The Kino version is restored with a symphonic soundtrack.
Plot Summary
A visually stunning adaptation of Goethe's magnum opus as directed by one of silent cinema's greatest masters, F. W. Murnau.| Using ingenious special effects and a wide variety of baroque visual techniques, Murnau creates a shadowy medieval world where the occult mixes with the everyday in a beautiful cinematic alchemy. Illuminating a lost universe of spiritual possibilities that seem mere superstition today, he relates the classic tale of an ambitious young man who sells his soul to Lord Satan for corporeal wealth and success. The film features a stunning opening sequence where Faust is literally borne through the skies of Europe on the wings of Lucifer. A recklessly inventive masterpiece.
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