Faust.

Most people know the name F.W. Murnau because of the famous Nosferatu, which I actually do plan to review as well in a rather special feature…. In this case, however, I will write about one of his other films, Faust. This is based, of course, on a very famous story. I myself have never read it, and I’m not going to assume that you have, either. It all starts with a wager between an angel and Mephisto. If Mephisto can turn Faust’s soul from God, then he will have free reign over the world. Faust is an alchemist who (as the angel points out) is firmly devout and spreads the word of God, but (as Mephisto points out) also has a greedy streak in his quest to turn lead into gold and the like.

After taking the bet, Mephisto promptly swoops over the town and visits a plague upon the masses. Faust, powerless to help amidst the chaos, loses his faith in God’s power and summons Mephisto to his aid.

Mephisto offers him a deal and Faust, though at first hesitant, accepts the conditions of a ‘trial day’. He finds immediately that he can heal the sick, but cannot look upon the cross.

This leads the people of the town to condemn him as affiliated with the devil and throw a lot of stones at him. Faust retreats to his home in despair, and Mephisto seduces him with the prospect of a return to his youth.

After his transformation, Faust is promptly bewitched by the image of a beautiful woman and demands to be taken to her. From then on he apparently lives a life of debauchery and vice, until Mephisto asks him why he is still not satisfied. Faust says that what he wants now is to go home. It seems that the town got over its bout of plague in their absence, and is now happy and bustling with Easter celebrations. Faust becomes enchanted by another girl, Gretchen, but Mephisto warns him not to chase after her because she is good and devout.

Refusing to listen, Faust woos her with Mephisto’s help and eventually proposes to her, but before they are married they end up sexing anyway

and this leads to Gretchen’s brother hunting Faust in revenge. During their duel, Mephisto kills the brother and urges Faust to run. The town turns against Gretchen for her harlotry having supposedly led to her brother’s death.

She is sentenced to stand in the stocks and becomes an outcast, wandering the streets with her illegitimate child. On a harsh winter, she tries and fails to find shelter for the child, eventually hallucinating the image of a cradle and placing the baby in a snowdrift, where it dies.

A group of soldiers come across her and accuse her of killing the child. She is imprisoned and slated to be burned at the stake. Many miles away, Faust ‘hears’ her cries and accuses Mephisto of tricking him, saying she was safe. He swoops to her rescue, but it is too late. He curses his false youth and the pain it has brought him, causing Mephisto to reverse the effect. Faust, as an old man, throws himself on the burning pyre and dies with Gretchen.

The next scene switches to Mephisto and the armoured angel from the beginning. Mephisto claims that he has won the bet, but the angel refutes him, saying that Faust’s undying love absolved him of his sins. Mephisto is banished, and the movie ends.

Overall, I really enjoy this film. The effects are quite impressive to me, even today, and the sets are just phenomenal. Some of the parts are genuinely creepy, and toward the end it’s beautifully tragic. The acting is also very good, and doesn’t have as much of the jarring exuberance so common in movies of the era. One thing I do have to point out, though, is the soundtrack. It just… doesn’t fit. It is light and airy and happy in spite of the tone, and at times the contrast is really hilarious.

My conclusion: Put this film first on your list if you are planning to delve into the Silents. It is well executed, and a solid tale. It’s also a bit long, so set aside a good chunk of your evening for it, and enjoy.

Spin.

Faust is © Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Wiesbaden.

P.S. I'm trying to find the best image and text size. Input would be most appreciated.