Faust- A 1926 Silent Film Directed by F. W. Murnau- 1 Hour 46 minutes

 Available on YouTube In 4 k Restoration with a soundtrack 

Roger Ebert's remarks on Faust

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-faust-1926

"Silent films like this deal more in broad concepts than in the subtleties of personality. Like Greek myth and comic books, they present characters clearly defined by their strengths and weaknesses. There's no small talk. Ekman creates an elderly Faust in anguish over his inability to cure plague victims and too proud to admit defeat. The young Faust is led astray by the stirrings in his loins, and the function of Gretchen, I am afraid, is to be the innocent victim of his lust; she wanders through a blizzard with her innocent infant and burns at the stake, all because of her love for the unworthy Faust"  Roger Ebert. 

Faust is an adaptation of the Faust legend, based primarily on the play Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 

The film stars Gösta Ekman as Faust, an aging alchemist who sells his soul to the devil Mephistopheles (Emil Jannings) in exchange for youth, love, and knowledge. Camilla Horn plays Gretchen, a young woman who is seduced and abandoned by 

Faust is a 1926 German silent fantasy film directed by F. W. Murnau. It is an adaptation of the Faust legend, based primarily on the play Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The film stars Gösta Ekman as Faust, an aging alchemist who sells his soul to the devil Mephistopheles (Emil Jannings) in exchange for youth, love, and knowledge. Camilla Horn plays Gretchen, a young woman who is seduced and abandoned by Faust 

Faust was a critical and commercial success upon its release. It is now considered one of the greatest films of all time, and is praised for its innovative use of special effects, its Expressionist style, and its powerful performances. 

Here are some of the reasons why Faust is considered such a great film:

Its innovative use of special effects. Murnau was a pioneer in the use of special effects, and he used them to create some of the most stunning visuals in cinema history. For example, he used double exposure to create the illusion of Faust flying through the air, and he used miniatures to create the illusion of a giant city

Its Expressionist style. Expressionism was a German art movement that was characterized by its use of distorted shapes, exaggerated features, and bold colors. Murnau used Expressionist techniques to create a visually stunning and emotionally charged film

Its powerful performances. The film features some of the best performances of the silent era. Gösta Ekman is heartbreaking as the tortured Faust, and Emil Jannings is chilling as the devilish Mephistopheles

F. W. Murnau 

Born December 28, 1888

Moved to California in 1926 - he made three silent films for Fox Studios before forming his own company 

—died March 11, 1931, Hollywood, California, - from injuries in an Automobile accident 

His most famous film is Nosferatu, which was featured earlier this month.

Films by German directors are an important part of post World War One German Culture, from the groundbreaking silent classics of the Weimar Republic to the movies of Leni Reisenthal in celebration of Nazi rule, beloved by Goebels, to modern Oscar winners, I am pleased to see German Literature Month XIII now welcomes posts on Films by German Directors

This is a post for German Literature Month XIII 

German Literature Month is hosted by Lizzy’s Literary Life

https://lizzysiddal2.wordpress.com/2023/09/22/announcing-german-literature-month-xiii/