Faust (1926)

Please don't spend money on this.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

I saw Faust last night at a special event at the Paramount theater in Seattle with live organ accompaniment. The hosts relentlessly hyped the movie, so when it started, I had high expectations. I was not disappointed. Faust wastes no time by explaining how portals from Hell opened up and wraiths are running free over the Earth. This is an instant hook, but then it gets better as a head angel makes a bet with the devil Mephisto. So what is there that could go wrong?This movie has world-class production design to complement that it takes place in an apocalyptic, post-biblical fantasy time. Personally, I'm not much a fan of the worlds typical to fantasy stories, but the one in Faust is original and creative.The story follows a young Faust chasing after women and happiness in his new, young body. He finally finds one girl who becomes his only goal. This is fine and tells a perfectly good story. My objection is that the beginning shows us angels, demons, the devil, and the plague. Then the story goes down to deal with small-scale issues, looking at Faust's corruption really close up. This isn't necessarily bad, and the story goes back to its large-scale issues at the end, which has plenty of emotional and physical violence to balance out with Act I. I found it distracting that the jump was made to smaller battles, but these smaller battles are on the emotional side, making them far more important and interesting.Though Faust isn't subtle with its themes, it tells a story that moves right along, despite being seen as "one of those old silent films." The acting can be appreciated without looking down on old styles or thinking them archaic. The movie is dark, but Satan himself is a source of humor in some scenes. I see a lot of people who don't want to watch anything pre-50's and 60's, but right back at the beginning of cinema, there's entertainment, emotion, sex, violence, and comedy present in the same movie. Thank you, Faust.

A good film for me requires the perfect combination of all of its components (script, direction, production, acting, cinematography, etc.). One single problem can ruin an otherwise great film experience. A simple error in the casting of Michael Corleone's daughter spoiled The Godfather III for me. In Faust, the problem was not Emil Jannings (he's amazingly good in the first half of the film, and one of my favorite actors of all time) but that ridiculous outfit he wears in the second half of the film. I'm amazed nobody has commented on how gay and fat his Mephistopheles looks (nothing against gays and fat people, folks). A fat gay Mephistopheles surely does not inspire any dread or fear. I could barely put up with Jannings and his custom, with its feather and its tail. I also agree that the second half of the film drags. Faust is still an incredible piece of filmmaking, which makes you understand why Hollywood became so interested in Murnau, and shows that Germany (along with the US and Russia) was in the forefront of world cinema at that time. But is also regrettably an example of how details can ruin an otherwise great film experience.

I'm not sure which version of the film I saw, although it did have live piano accompaniment, which was nice. The announcer mentioned it was presented on film at 18 fps. It started out with a Kino logo. I think all the text on the screen was in German, with English subtitles.The film itself however was a disappointment, mostly because even today you still have to have a good story to tell. This is less a story than cartoonish propaganda.I do give credit for the early-on special effects, which seem good even by today's standards. I'm reminded a bit of Dracula (1992). Filmmakers (especially in Canada) should take note that special effects come from skill, not computers.But as to the story, it's just not there. For example, it's never really clear why Faust suddenly abandons his hope of curing plague and decides to lust after some young woman. We have to make up the reasons ourselves. It's never clear why the side of "good" permits a mob to burn an innocent bystander for the sake of a game involving someone else, permits the death of child due to shunning by society, or why the side of "good" permits these mob attitudes, or plague at all. In the end, although we're told that "love" wins, both lovers die in the mob's fire, and we're left to assume that the remaining plague victims die as well without supernatural help. In fact guilt wins, mayhem wins, hatred wins, and disease wins. That's all.I have to say I found Mephisto rather a fun figure, more like Puck than anyone evil, and I was certainly rooting for him through most of the film, even if he was a jerk.Ultimately, the film only makes sense if you buy into the mythology already, as it makes no attempt to justify or expand any of it. For any rational viewer, it's just so much nonsense that the skill with effects and even the comedy becomes irrelevant. Such a shame.

Many people have heard the tale of Faust, which has become ingrained in the collective mind of our culture. A worldly doctor sells his soul to the devil in exchange for any earthly good he could desire in exchange for the loss of any spiritual good he could have. This, I believe, is told from the Goethe angle, seeing as how the tale of Faust is more of a folktale than anything that can be attributed to any one novelist.An archangel and Mephisto, played magnificently by Emil Jannings, make a wager: if Mephisto can tempt and acquire the soul of Faust, a renowned and prestigious alchemist, all of mankind is doomed. The hideous raven-form of Mephisto slinks off to his work....In a truly awe-inspiring image, we see Mephisto spreading his demonic wings over the nameless Germanic town in what is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. This spreads the plague, which devastates the town. Faust sells his soul in order to stop it, but doesn't stop there. Be it wealth or the flesh of the loveliest woman alive, Mephisto will give him any earthly desire after he makes his contract permanent.The story is heart-breaking: a classic tale of good, evil, religion, love, and temptation. I'm not one of your weepy types, but I have to admit I was getting a little misty-eyed at the ending. The acting is awesome across the board, with Emil Jannings stealing the show as the cackling Mephisto. His range of facial expressions boggles the mind! But really, it's the visuals that make the movie memorable: phantasmagoric montages of bizarre and demonic images, just what you'd expect from the director of Nosferatu. A demon engulfing a town in his wings, satanic birds, skeletal horsemen....and others. It's really....really interesting to watch.Murnau may be known best for Nosferatu, but don't skip out on this other gem from the Expressionistic era.