"Faust" was an ambitious effort from legendary German director F.W. Murneau to bring this classical tale to the screen. I didn't think it was as good as some of his earlier films but it is memorable nonetheless.
God and Satan are fighting over who will control earth. God's messenger an unnamed Archangel (Werner Fuetterer) and Mephisto (Emil Jannings) each believe that the deserve the honor. They make a wager that Mephisto can bring an aging and respected alchemist named Faust (Gosta Ekmann) over to the side of evil. The wager is Faust's immortal soul.
Mephisto immediately rains down a deadly plague upon Faust's city. People begin to die and panic sets in. Faust prays to God to alleviate the plague as he tries to minister to the sick. Finally he gives up and burns his books in disgust. One of the books shows him the way to summon up the devil to help him. Mephisto is conjured up and appears as an elderly agent of the devil who offers to grant Faust his every wish if he will sign a paper surrendering his soul. The two agree on a one trial period.
As a first wish, Faust asks for his youth to be restored which it is. Mephisto too takes on a more youthful appearance. Then Faust and Mephisto soar over the city to the wedding of the Duke (Eric Barclay) and Duchess (Hanna Ralph) of Parma. There the young Faust offers her priceless gifts. She is mesmerized and goes off with Faust. The Duke tries to intervene but is slain by Mephisto. Just as Faust is about to have his way with the Duchess, the 24 hour trial period ends and the two return to their starting point..
Next Faust asks to be returned to his home town where he meets the lovely young maiden Gretchen (Camilla Horn) frolicking in the garden with the children. She lives with her mother (Frida Richard) and her brother (William Dieterle) who has returned home on leave from the wars. She goes to see her Aunt Marthe (Yvette Guillbert) who sells phony love potions on the side.
Faust takes up with Gretchen eventually getting her into the sack. Mephisto meanwhile goes to her brother and tells him that his sister is being defiled. Mother catches them in the act and dies in shock. The brother returns home and challenges Faust to a duel. The evil Mephisto stabs the brother in the back but before he dies labels his sister as a harlot and asks that she be put on display in the public square. Faust and Mephisto disappear.
It seems that unbeknownst to Faust, he has left Grtechen with child. She wanders through the snow filled streets unable to gain shelter from the saintly townsfolk. The child dies and Gretchen is discovered shivering in the cold. She is charged as a child murderer and is sentenced to be burned at the stake. Fasust learns of her fate and begs Mephisto to let him return to her. But the evil Mephisto turns Faust back into an old man and..................................................
I only have a couple of problems with this film. With Murneau being such a perfectionist, I wonder why he used such obvious miniatures for the city that Faust and Mephisto fly over. They look positively toy like. And, what was the frolicking about between Mephisto and Aunt Marthe all about? It was completely out of context with the rest of the story.
This being the restored German version of the film, the character names are German and not Americanized as in the American version of the film.
God and Satan are fighting over who will control earth. God's messenger an unnamed Archangel (Werner Fuetterer) and Mephisto (Emil Jannings) each believe that the deserve the honor. They make a wager that Mephisto can bring an aging and respected alchemist named Faust (Gosta Ekmann) over to the side of evil. The wager is Faust's immortal soul.
Mephisto immediately rains down a deadly plague upon Faust's city. People begin to die and panic sets in. Faust prays to God to alleviate the plague as he tries to minister to the sick. Finally he gives up and burns his books in disgust. One of the books shows him the way to summon up the devil to help him. Mephisto is conjured up and appears as an elderly agent of the devil who offers to grant Faust his every wish if he will sign a paper surrendering his soul. The two agree on a one trial period.
As a first wish, Faust asks for his youth to be restored which it is. Mephisto too takes on a more youthful appearance. Then Faust and Mephisto soar over the city to the wedding of the Duke (Eric Barclay) and Duchess (Hanna Ralph) of Parma. There the young Faust offers her priceless gifts. She is mesmerized and goes off with Faust. The Duke tries to intervene but is slain by Mephisto. Just as Faust is about to have his way with the Duchess, the 24 hour trial period ends and the two return to their starting point..
Next Faust asks to be returned to his home town where he meets the lovely young maiden Gretchen (Camilla Horn) frolicking in the garden with the children. She lives with her mother (Frida Richard) and her brother (William Dieterle) who has returned home on leave from the wars. She goes to see her Aunt Marthe (Yvette Guillbert) who sells phony love potions on the side.
Faust takes up with Gretchen eventually getting her into the sack. Mephisto meanwhile goes to her brother and tells him that his sister is being defiled. Mother catches them in the act and dies in shock. The brother returns home and challenges Faust to a duel. The evil Mephisto stabs the brother in the back but before he dies labels his sister as a harlot and asks that she be put on display in the public square. Faust and Mephisto disappear.
It seems that unbeknownst to Faust, he has left Grtechen with child. She wanders through the snow filled streets unable to gain shelter from the saintly townsfolk. The child dies and Gretchen is discovered shivering in the cold. She is charged as a child murderer and is sentenced to be burned at the stake. Fasust learns of her fate and begs Mephisto to let him return to her. But the evil Mephisto turns Faust back into an old man and..................................................
I only have a couple of problems with this film. With Murneau being such a perfectionist, I wonder why he used such obvious miniatures for the city that Faust and Mephisto fly over. They look positively toy like. And, what was the frolicking about between Mephisto and Aunt Marthe all about? It was completely out of context with the rest of the story.
This being the restored German version of the film, the character names are German and not Americanized as in the American version of the film.