Streaming Faust Online
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Streaming Faust Online.
Movie Title: Faust Faust is available for streaming or downloading. |
As is to be expected of a great director, (F.W. Murnau, “Nosferatu”, “The Man Who Laughs”), “Faust” delivers a brilliant adaption of this classic story concerning the perennial subject of good versus evil. Though, not apparently the first telling of this story, (IMDB lists 5 previous films with this title), it’s perhaps, (to my knowledge) the oldest surviving version available. Its brilliance deserves preservation.
In a world struggling against pestilence, famine, and disease Mephisto decides he can attempt a hostile take-over through a real estate deal. The Archangel Michael agrees, that if Mephisto can win Faust over to his side, he gets the kit and kaboodle. Faust is a tired old doctor/alchemist who is disappointed at his inability to offer healing to those with the rampant-running plague. Soon, he calls on Mephisto and strikes up a deal with him. Mephisto gives him youth and pleasures of the world, until Faust falls for a simple girl.
This film is brilliantly done, with fantastic effects and brilliant storytelling. Some scenes are downright eerie, like Mephisto standing over the town with ravens wings. Emil Jennings plays a brilliant Mephisto, somewhere between the brilliant humor of mythical Loki and the dark evil vision of Zarathrustra’s Angra Mainyu. Gösta Ekman is brilliant as Faust as well, from withered old man to young libertine, he shows talent rarely seen on the screen in recent time.
Though there aren’t a lot of features on this disc, (including a nice photo gallery, a link to Kino’s website, and scene selection), the print is beautiful for its age, and the music recently recorded and very appropriate. The price is a little high, but your not purchasing a sad copy for a few bucks, but a masterpiece both in original content and painstaking preservation. This film is worthy of being in any collection interest in great filmmaking.
This film is ripe for reassessment as among the best silent films ever made and a true work of art. Unfortunately, most silent films are rarely seen outside of a small group of silent film enthusiasts. Murnau’s earlier film “Nosferatu” is an exception, mainly because horror genre fans brought it to the attention of a wider audience. So “Nosferatu,” a relatively immature low-budget work, receives all the attention, while “Faust,” in every way beyond it, is not nearly so well-known simply because it doesn’t fall neatly into a genre.
“Faust” features a stylish dream-like atmosphere punctuated with stunning special effects and lush visuals. Of course, this will not be to everyone’s taste. Those looking for realistic straightforward storytelling may find it tedious or silly. I would say that “Faust” will appeal to fans of surreal “cult” films, ones that create their own unique allegorical world, such as “Brazil,” “Dark City,” “The City of Lost Children,” “Being John Malkovich,” “Metropolis,” and the films of Jean Cocteau. In fact, the general atmosphere of Faust is most similar to Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast” — the young version of Faust reminds me of the Prince the Beast becomes. On a slightly lighter note, “Faust” should also appeal to fans of cult television shows like “The Avengers,” “The Prisoner,” and “Twin Peaks.” I would even expect it to appeal to fans of classic Disney animation.
For a silent film of its day, the picture quality on “Faust” is very good. There is some slight unrepaired damage early on, but the picture quality becomes increasingly pristine as the film progresses. Of course, its certainly not as good-looking as a modern film nor those few silent films where the original negatives survive, but its certainly far better looking than “Nosferatu,” where only a single so-so print survived. I think most people will be pleasantly surprised at just how good this looks. If the film ever finds the audience it deserves, enough to justify a thorough clean-up with modern digital techniques, I imagine that this film could look even more spectacular. The soundtrack consists of an excellent orchestral score.
Silent films being a cult in themselves, its doubly hard when their subject is also of mainly cult appeal. I hope “Faust” can break out of the straightjacket of silent films. It deserves to be ranked not just as among the best silent films, but as a classic film period.