{"id":24164,"date":"2012-02-23T12:22:08","date_gmt":"2012-02-23T19:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=24164"},"modified":"2020-12-27T14:58:31","modified_gmt":"2020-12-27T21:58:31","slug":"faust-1926","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=24164","title":{"rendered":"Faust (1926)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;All things in heaven and earth are wonderful! But the greatest wonder is man&#8217;s freedom to choose between good and evil.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Poster-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-24167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Poster-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Poster-90x128.jpg 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Poster.jpg 386w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn medieval Germany, the demon Mephistopheles (Emil Jannings) bets an archangel (Weiner Fuetterer) that he can corrupt the soul of a well-meaning alchemist (Goesta Ekmann). After experiencing a trial day of omnipotence and youth, Faust (Ekmann) accepts Jannings&#8217; pact in order to romance the &#8220;most beautiful woman in the world&#8221; (Hanna Ralph); when he eventually falls in love with a chaste young maiden (Camilla Horn), however, Mephistopheles plots their downfall.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>F.W. Murnau Films<\/li>\n<li>Pact with the Devil<\/li>\n<li>Silent Film<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nLoosely based upon the first part of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goethe%27s_Faust\">Goethe&#8217;s play of the same name<\/a>, F.W. Murnau&#8217;s <em>Faust<\/em> remains one of his most visually evocative films, with consistently atmospheric cinematography by DP Carl Hoffman, effectively stylized sets, and fine special effects. From its stunning opening sequences &#8212; wherein an archangel and Mephistopheles use Faust as a pawn in a wager against one another, and Mephistopheles unleashes a plague upon Faust&#8217;s village &#8212; we are immediately invested in Faust&#8217;s sticky existential dilemma. Dr. Faust (nicely played in both old age and youth by Goesta Ekmann) initially accepts Mephistopheles&#8217; proposal in desperate hopes of finding a way to heal his plague-ridden neighbors &#8212; but the fearful townsfolk immediately discern that Faust is in league with the devil, and want nothing to do with his ill-gotten cures. From thence, Faust&#8217;s foolhardy decision to accept Mephistopheles&#8217; offer of further omnipotence and youth is much less easy to swallow; at this point, we understand that, despite his originally noble intentions, Faust has squarely dug his own grave. <\/p>\n<p>The film&#8217;s middle scenes &#8212; as Faust explores a life of hedonism, then becomes smitten by a fair maiden, while Mephistopheles himself flirts with the maiden&#8217;s mother (Frida Richard) &#8212; are often noted as its least compelling, perhaps in part because the imagery is no longer quite so consistently stunning; by the film&#8217;s final tragic act, however, the momentum and visual interest have picked up once again. Interestingly, it&#8217;s Mephistopheles himself (played with impish glee by Jannings) who emerges as the film&#8217;s most memorable character. We&#8217;re reminded time and again that Faust&#8217;s entire journey is predicated upon Mephistopheles&#8217; whims: once Mephistopheles decides that Faust has made a mistake in falling for Gretchen (Horn), he quickly sets the wheels in motion to &#8220;help&#8221; Faust see the error of his ways. By the end of Faust&#8217;s bitterly tragic saga, we come to believe that <em>any<\/em> type of consort with the devil is truly a compromised bargain: there is no room for goodness or humility once one has crossed over to the Other Side. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Interestingly, in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-faust-1926\">&#8220;Greatest Films&#8221; review<\/a>, Roger Ebert points out that <em>Faust<\/em> is ranked by IMDb users as one of the top horror films of all time (even placing it above Murnau&#8217;s more widely recognized, Dracula-themed <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5388\"><em>Nosferatu<\/em><\/a>); however, I&#8217;m not quite sure I would label it within that genre myself, as it&#8217;s less a horror film than a morality\/folk tale.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Carl Hoffman&#8217;s stunning cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography2.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography3.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography3-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography3-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography4.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography4-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cinematography4-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent early special effects<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Special-Effects.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Special-Effects.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Special-Effects.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Special-Effects-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Special-Effects-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Countless memorable images<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Angel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Angel.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Angel.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Angel-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Angel-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cape-Over-Town.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cape-Over-Town.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cape-Over-Town.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cape-Over-Town-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Cape-Over-Town-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine expressionistic sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets2.png 320w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Faust-Sets2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an acknowledged silent classic by a master filmmaker. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary&#8217;s book.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#classic\">Genuine Classic<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0016847\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/silent-volume.blogspot.com\/2011\/04\/faust-1926.html\">Silent Volume Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-faust-1926\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s &#8220;Great Movies&#8221; Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=1183\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/classic-horror.com\/reviews\/faust_1926\">Classic Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/fantasy\/faust1926.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2863faus.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/reviews\/66502\/faust.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;All things in heaven and earth are wonderful! But the greatest wonder is man&#8217;s freedom to choose between good and evil.&#8221; Synopsis: In medieval Germany, the demon Mephistopheles (Emil Jannings) bets an archangel (Weiner Fuetterer) that he can corrupt the soul of a well-meaning alchemist (Goesta Ekmann). After experiencing a trial day of omnipotence and youth, Faust (Ekmann) accepts Jannings&#8217; pact in order to romance the &#8220;most beautiful woman in the world&#8221; (Hanna Ralph); when he eventually falls in love&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=24164\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24164"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60008,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24164\/revisions\/60008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}