Faust (1926)

[Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage]

Director: FW Murnau
Starring: Gösta Ekman, Emil Jannings, Camilla Horn

Synopsis:
Satan enters a wager for control of the world and to win the bet, he dispatches the demon Mephisto to corrupt a righteous doctor.

Impressions:
I'm only familiar with Marlowe's Faust rather than Goethe's, so this was quite a different experience for me. As a piece of German Expressionism, the imagery is rather striking. Whereas Marlowe's Faust was an arrogant narcissist with a foot in Hell before Mephisto ever came knocking, this Faust is a good man driven to despair and from despair to damnation. Emil Jannings is quite good as Mephisto and while the corruption of Faust was interesting enough, the story almost feels like it's straying when the focus turns to Gretchen. It's worth seeing all the same, though.

Rating:
Watch It