Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's Faust is an aesthetically appealing film, creating suspense and horror through his frequent use of shadows and light in his very interesting and personal way.
The story is known: Faust (Gösta Ekman) sells his soul to the Devil/Mephisto (Emil Jannings) for youth.
In the amazing opening scene, we see God (Werner Fuetterer as a mighty Archangel) and Satan discussing who is 'the Master of the World' and who should rightfully continue to be so.
In their fight they wager on the soul of Faust, an alchemist who is very learned and on the same time very pious, in his work trying to find a remedy to the plague ravaging the country.
Mephisto firstly offers Faust the knowledge to cure the plague and secondly the possibility to return one day to his youth.
When being young again he meets and falls in love with a young, beautiful woman, the Dutchess of Parma (Hanna Ralph), and thanks to Mephisto he is able to abduct her but at the very moment when he is going to kiss her, he is called back to his old age.
Now Faust asks Mephisto to give him eternal youth in return for his soul.
After having been young for a while he is bored and wants to return to his home where he meets Gretchen (Camilla Horn), a woman whos relationship with Faust brings her dishonor and the question is:
Are there any redemption for Faust and Gretchen?
I had forgotten that the Swedish actor Gösta Ekman impersonated the role as Faust and there are many other fine actors and actresses.
A very interesting film that brings us deep into the psyche of mankind and on the same time asks important questions about the eternal struggle between the egoistic wishes and the more altruistic way of living. Is the latter possible or not?
What are we prepared to sacrifice or rather: Are we prepared to sacrifice anything at all?
If so: For what?
There are some magnificent scenes and it's truly one of the most interesting adaptations of this classic story by Goethe about the fight between 'good' and 'evil' between egoism and unselfishness.
We warmly recommend it!
The story is known: Faust (Gösta Ekman) sells his soul to the Devil/Mephisto (Emil Jannings) for youth.
In the amazing opening scene, we see God (Werner Fuetterer as a mighty Archangel) and Satan discussing who is 'the Master of the World' and who should rightfully continue to be so.
In their fight they wager on the soul of Faust, an alchemist who is very learned and on the same time very pious, in his work trying to find a remedy to the plague ravaging the country.
Mephisto firstly offers Faust the knowledge to cure the plague and secondly the possibility to return one day to his youth.
When being young again he meets and falls in love with a young, beautiful woman, the Dutchess of Parma (Hanna Ralph), and thanks to Mephisto he is able to abduct her but at the very moment when he is going to kiss her, he is called back to his old age.
Now Faust asks Mephisto to give him eternal youth in return for his soul.
After having been young for a while he is bored and wants to return to his home where he meets Gretchen (Camilla Horn), a woman whos relationship with Faust brings her dishonor and the question is:
Are there any redemption for Faust and Gretchen?
I had forgotten that the Swedish actor Gösta Ekman impersonated the role as Faust and there are many other fine actors and actresses.
A very interesting film that brings us deep into the psyche of mankind and on the same time asks important questions about the eternal struggle between the egoistic wishes and the more altruistic way of living. Is the latter possible or not?
What are we prepared to sacrifice or rather: Are we prepared to sacrifice anything at all?
If so: For what?
There are some magnificent scenes and it's truly one of the most interesting adaptations of this classic story by Goethe about the fight between 'good' and 'evil' between egoism and unselfishness.
We warmly recommend it!
No comments:
Post a Comment