Goethes Faust

This is a 1926, feature-length (the disc cover says 85 minutes, but it ran closer to two hours) silent version of Goethe’s supernatural story, directed by F. W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and starring Emil Jannings (The Blue Angel) as Mephisto. I don’t know how much of its wonderfully spooky atmosphere was created intentionally and how much of it is due to the inevitably aged (almost 100 years!) film, but whatever produced it, it certainly works. Everything is very dark and seemingly glimpsed through thick fog or smoke, and at time the screen even seems to pulse, like Poe’s Telltale Heart—a perfect accompaniment to this tale of temptation, seduction, and ruin. (For the record, the version I bought was the one labeled Desert Island Classics; I don’t know how the film restoration quality on this compares with other versions.)I found it interesting that Jannings played Mephisto, not as the suave trickster usually pictured, but as smarmily ingratiating, a sort of demonic Uriah Heep. There were some other interesting variations on the usual Faust story (at least as I’d heard it), too, including the fact that Faust initially signs on with Mephisto for the laudable motive of curing his fellow townspeople who are dying from an epidemic of plague. (They are as ungrateful to him as later townspeople are cruel to poor Gretchen, the pure maiden whom Faust seduces and abandons.) There’s also a semicomic subplot (a rather unnecessary distraction, in my opinion) involving Mephisto and Gretchen’s lusty Aunt Marthe, in which the hapless devil comes out second best. I strongly recommend this Faust version to anyone interested in the Faust story, in dark fantasy, or in early films with occult/magical themes.

Raphael is Raphael Gikorsky, that's the name he goes by if you meet him. Mephistopheles, that is Emil Jannings, also plays himself. The beginning is a brief reprise of the war in heaven. Faust is an old man who makes a deal with mephisto to get a girl, Gretchen, pregnant. I thought the story was about a younger man making a deal with the devil to become a great musician.Gretchen has his child and kills it. She and Raphael are burnt at the stake and go to heaven anyway.

The imagery in this epic is nothing short of amazing. There are scenes that obviously influenced Walt Disney's Night On Bald Mountain sequence in Fantasia. The only debatable flaw in this DVD is the fact that it is completely without any sound track. It is a truly silent movie. On the one hand this does completely draw one's eyes to the screen. But most films released to DVD from this era do include some form of musical accompaniment. I would think some classical music recordings could have been added without too much effort. Said music could have been borrowed from any county library. There is no shortage of public domain recordings available on U TUBE for that matter. This did not spoil the film for me. But it may be a short coming for younger or uninitiated viewers. Even so, the film is a feast for the eyes and the fact that it was originally made in German shows how transcendent the story and film style is.

Love this movie, but note that this blu ray contains the same restoration as the previous Kino Deluxe Collector's Edition 2-DVD set. Kino has just recently gotten around to releasing the title on blu. Also note that the second disc is a DVD of the U.S. release version of the film from David Shepard.Given that, don't expect more from this title than you might think. The resolution is obviously better but even the restored print is full of damage. Love this movie and wish there were better elements available, but it is what it is.DON'T over pay for this title. I pulled the trigger at $32 on December 29th 2015 here on Amazon and now (1 week later) they're selling it for $16. It's only worth the $16.

This movie was great, it had comedy, tragedy and love. I'm beginning to become a fan of silent movies after watching Nosferatu, and Faust was an excellent follow-up to it, especially since it was another film directed by F.W. Murnau. While watching Faust I sort of almost forgot that I was watching a silent B&W movie, it was just that good! I wish modern day movies could be half this good! I would recommend Faust to anyone looking for a really good movie to watch, I really enjoyed it. I'm also looking forward to reading the book, I ordered it from Amazon too.

I’d already bought a perfectly decent copy of this Murnau classic (the 2002 Eureka release with a photo of Faust on the cover - what I now know to be the ‘export print’ of the film) but, being an admirer of Masters of Cinema, I decided to ‘upgrade’ to this two disc set with its added booklet notes, extra commentary and, best of all, a newly-discovered German ‘domestic print’, which is F.W Murnau’s original version.Disc 2 (which contains the ‘export print’) also has a twenty-minute featurette that compares the differences between the two. The ‘domestic print’ is more tightly edited too, and shorter by around ten minutes (though it still lasts a lengthy hour and three quarters).I’ve seen these different versions four times now. ‘Faust’ is a quite remarkable movie, and one of the best dramatic silents I’ve seen, with striking set designs and effects. Practically every shot is artistically lit. There’s plenty of wonderful haunting imagery (especially in the first half of the film), and the story has an atmosphere that’s suitably archaic and otherworldly.I’d definitely recommend it to anyone interested in early cinema, and particularly to those who already know Murnau’s ‘Nosferatu’.Both prints also come with a very good orchestral soundtrack (by American composer Timothy Brock), a nice varied score that underlines the visual moods of the film, and carries the interest through some of the slower-moving scenes. It’s so much better than the alternative music for the ‘domestic print’, a rather limp accompaniment played on solo harp.

I have to say that the more I delve deeper into these silent movies, the more I am impressed by the art direction, attention to detail and the over all quality of these movies. I bought Faust on the strength of Nosferatu and I have to say that I was most certainly not disappointed.The first thing I will say about this film is how nicely simple the story is. The plot is pretty basic with some nice religious themes, love, betrayal and some more dark elements thrown into one big mixed bag. But the director has done a great job of taking these qualities and making it so easy to follow that the pacing was absolutely perfect.My favourite thing about this movie is the visual element. There are a lot of heavy religious themes, most of which are fairly stereo typical old time Christianity. On top of that you have a fantastic intro sequence featuring the Devil and an Angel, this sequence alone is absolutely beautiful and had me taken back. The rest of the film features some beautiful set work all of which had a magnificent use of lighting. It didn't matter whether the set was made to look heavenly, devilish or to emphasise the look of death and decay, it looked absolutely gorgeous without, and all this is without mentioned some of the incredible visual effects sequences. Those are a sight to behold. Extremely impressive for the technical limitations of the day.Those looking for a stunning fantasy movie about selling your soul to the devil, falling in love and reaping the consequences will absolutely adore this film. The bluray transfer whilst scratchy in places (it is 90 years old after all) still looks very sharp and is well suited to modern high definition television sets. I had an absolute blast with this movie and I couldn't recommend it more.

Some years ago a good friend introduced me to Nosferatu, which I thoroughly enjoyed and consider to be a cinematic masterpiece. I determined to see more work from the same director, but have never got around to it now. I am glad I waited, as the Masters of Cinema series from Eureka is now allowing me to see these films in superb quality.Faust is a dark tale of man's desires and the depths he can be driven to, tempered, ultimately with his capacity for self sacrifice and redemption.The film opens with visually arresting images as the Devil Mephisto and an Angel lay a wager - if Mephisto can capture the soul of Faust, and turn the good Doctor to evil then he can lay claim to all the earth for his dominion. Mephisto starts a savage plague which Faust's science and faith cannot cure. In desperation he summons the Devil and seals a pact in his own blood, initially for the power to help the victims for a day. Cunningly Mephisto draws Faust ever deeper into his clutches, until, for the love of good woman he finds redemption.The narrative is well known, but it is told in a fantastic and visually arresting fashion by Murneau, a master of his art. There are several big set pieces, especially at the beginning of the film, with some amazing special effects. Mephisto rising from a pit of fire, looking over the town spreading plague, the whole summoning sequence at the crossroads. These scenes are quite iconic, and leave one breathless with excitement and wonder.Every scene is shot with meticulous attention to detail. The lighting for each is finely judged, and brings out the maximum impact and depth. The famous scene where the original Faustian pact is signed is a particular example; it is packed with immense emotion.This release from Eureka once again pushes the limit of excellence. The film has been painstakingly restored, and the image is both sharp and full of depth. There are two versions presented, the domestic and export versions. There is an interesting note in the booklet as to why there are two versions. There are also two soundtracks, a full orchestral and a solo harp score. Each lends a different feel to the film. The harp score is gentle and soothing, gently understating the drama of the film. The orchestral score is big, dramatic, full of sturm and drang, adding a stirring backdrop to the film. Both are excellent, and I choose which one to watch depending on my mood. The two discs are stuffed full of extras, and there is an informative booklet with much useful information and interesting essays.An excellent release of this cinematic masterpiece. A that everyone should watch, and this release is definitely the version to watch.

"Faust" is one of the great films from the silent era and F.W. Murnau's last "German" film, before he moved to the USA. Shot in 1926, "Faust" is the timeless story of sin and redemption, Murnau style. His directing qualities, the usage of special effects and the acting, make this film a unique interpretation of the old German folk legend.Moralistic and long winded at times, overall I found "Faust" an exciting film. The visual effects are still stunning after almost a century and the play with light and dark make this unmistakably a Murnau film. Emil Jannings, playing Mephistopheles is the star of this film and, as the face of evil, he is for me in the same category of Lang's Doctor Mabuse.
As always with the excellent "Master of Cinema"-series, the DVD comes with an exciting amount of extras, including a thick booklet full of interesting background information about "Faust", a restored German version shot from a slightly different angle and an alternative soundtrack. All in all, "Faust" is still watchable and should be part of any film historian's or early movies fan's collection.

DON'T ever buy DVDs from Amazon! You won't be able to return DVDs without a dreadful procedure.