One of the most beautifully crafted films ever made. Black-and-white cinematography was redefined in Faust: this is a film shot in darkness and light. Lotte Eisner's elegiac description sets the mood for Murnau's version of the Faust legend, starring Emil Jannings as the subtly mischievous Mephistopheles, and Swedish actor Gosta Ekman as a subtly homoerotic Faust: "This film starts with the most remarkable and poignant images the German chiaroscuro ever created. The chaotic density of the opening shots, the light dawning in the mists, the rays beaming through the opaque air, are breathtaking... No other director, not even Lang, ever succeeded in conjuring up the supernatural as masterfully as this. The entire town seems to be covered by the vast folds of a demon's cloak (or is it a gigantic, lowering cloud?) as the demoniac forces of darkness prepare to devour the powers of light. Carl Hoffmann's camera gives the terrestrial part of this film extraordinary modeling and has the power of impregnating everything, down to the cloth of a garment, with diabolism..."

"Faust was one of the most pictorially beautiful films ever made, a supreme example of German studio craftsmanship, at times seeming like a Dürer or Bruegel come to life. The expressionistic medieval settings were beautifully lighted; strange apparations and weird camera tricks added a mystical atmosphere; low angles and ceilings were again employed. In the famous scene where Mephisto and the rejuvenated Faust fly through the air, the camera, placed on a roller coaster device, travelled over miles of miniature cities and country.
The leading role was played by Gösta Ekman, noted Swedish actor, who was able to project successfully the extreme contrast between youth and old age.... But ... it was Emil Jannings who ran away with the picture, dressed in a long black cape to make him appear more slender, and playing with mischief and subtle humor a very delightful Mephistopheles. In fact, it was a conception and treatment of Mephisto which overbalanced the picture; the main theme of Faust was lost, as well as any genuine emotional quality...."

Die sublime Camilla Horn als Gretchen

The devil claims the earth as his own. A dazzling archangel declares it is not and never will be so. The devil proposes a wager for possession of Earth. If he can corrupt but one man, Faust, all the earth will be his. If he loses, he must leave back to Hell. The devil hovers over Faust's village. Plague, death, panic, frustration, resignation. Faust is pious, but cannot call upon God successfully to lift the veil of death. In a moment of false revelation, Faust is tempted to call upon the devil. The wry devil manuevers Faust into accepting dark powers for a day. Faust cures some of the plague, but is outcast when he cannot bring himself to touch a crucifix. Not realizing his new powers have already failed the test, he accepts the devil's temptation of youth. The devil has his way. Slowly, all Hell breaks loose (so to speak). In fact, the devil really is a son of a bitch. Faust falls for the pure Gretchen, but under the guidance of the devil Faust corrupts Gretchen. She struggles through the birth of their child and its death. But amidst all this suffering, which the devil is really enjoying, something happens to redeemthe tragic situation.

Emil Jannings' performance as the devil in Faust is both charming and mirthful. Under F.W. Murnau's direction, Jannings expertly hits dramatic poses that look as though they are modelled after a stylized illustration. But can it be something other than posing that Jannings, a truly great actor, brings to the role? Some modern critics make Jannings out to be nothing more than a pompous overactor. We say that Jannings' Faust role must be taken as a visual device at director Murnau's control first and as characterization and a plot device a distant second. Gösta Ekman as Faust has far more to do with his character and his performance. All characters and situations revolve, like a medieval concept of the solar system, around Faust. Faust is the one who changes during the course of the film. Camilla Horn is lovely as Gretchen in her first real film role.

But what of the overall effect of the film on viewers? Murnau does depart from the text of plays and legends. The film cannot be considered a faithful adaptation of the Goethe play. But isn't it something more? Something representative of a new art? At its most shallow assessment, the film is nothing more than stylistic eye candy. A more sympathetic and enthusiastic assessment of the film places it as one of greatest achievements of German silent cinema and of the UFA studio in particular. Murnau had carte blanche access to UFA resources to help bring his vision to celluloid. Faust is a triumph of art direction, costume design and makeup. Texture, light and shadow, and movement within the frame are all of upmost importance. Nearly every shot is framed dynamically; either centered to indicate the balance of divinity, otherwise framed in strong angles, tilted framing, and dynamic composition. Nearly every shot indicates the deliberate visual design of director Murnau. Faust features some of the most striking images committed to film, and it is nothing short of a stylistic masterpiece. Our own first encounter with Faust was of jaw-dropping awe. We find ultimately that the film serves the viewer first as a rich Germanic fantasy, and second as a special-effects extravaganza.

Silentera.com