Faust: Masters of Cinema Edition (UK Blu-ray/DVD)
Gareth Jones
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Starring Gösta Ekman, Emil Jannings, Camilla Horn, Frida Richard
Directed by F.W. Murnau
Distributed by Eureka!
Widely regarded as Nosferatu director F.W. Murnau’s crowning masterpiece, Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage – to give it its full original title – is not only a shining jewel of the filmmaker’s oeuvre but an historical cinematic milestone of major significance.
A telling of the German folk tale of the same name, Faust concerns a wager made between heaven and hell (in the form of an Archangel and the Devil Mephisto) for the fate of all mankind: If Mephisto can completely corrupt the soul of one man – the eponymous alchemist Faust (Ekman) – then the world will be his.
Putting his plans in motion, Mephisto unleashes a deadly plague on Faust’s home village. As his desperate search for a cure proves fruitless while the dying citizens call for his help, Faust enters into a one-day-only ‘trial’ pact with Mephisto. Suddenly, he is able to cure the sick with his bare hands, driving back the plague. All comes to a rough end, however, when the people discover that Faust can no longer look upon or touch the sign of the cross, and so to escape impending execution, he commands Mephisto to make him young again and whisk him away.
Consumed by the pleasures of his newfound youth and power, Faust goes on to accept the full agreement – his soul for indefinite command of Mephisto’s power – and sets about attempting to woo the innocent Gretchen (Horn). Tragedy abounds, however, as Mephisto’s scheming leads to increasingly dire consequences for Gretchen, her family, and Faust himself – pulling them all down a path of darkness which may very well spell the end of the world as we know it.
A product of the silent era of cinema, Murnau’s Faust continues to stress its historical importance, and impact on the art form, to this day. While grounded in the level of visual theatricality customary (and necessary) at the time, it nevertheless produces consistent displays of technical marvel via camera movement, sweeping miniature vistas, and brilliantly effective special effects – to name just a few of the elements Murnau has up his sleeve. Convincingly medieval costuming and set design provide a backdrop for touches of Expressionist style, though somewhat less overtly representative of the movement than similar output of the decade such as Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Story wise, Murnau’s Faust is closer in narrative to that of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s play than any other version, though various elements are tweaked to suit the filmmaker’s vision. Emil Jannings relishes his part as the devious Mephisto, full of theatrical mischievousness, wide-mouthed grins, and evil stares. He seems especially happy during the second act’s racier sex farce elements, grinning cheekily as he cops a feel of Gretchen’s aunt, for example. Camilla Horn’s performance as the aforementioned tortured innocent is truly something else – a brave and standout turn at a time when perfection in physical performance was required to truly communicate with audiences, and she communicates all too well.
Faust is a classic for a reason; anyone with even slightly more than a passing interest in cinema ought to cherish this film outright – though a bemoaning of the rather abrupt and saccharine ending would be a forgivable umbrage. It’s a superlative, inventive piece of work by a masterful, visionary director that remains as engrossing and surprising today as it was almost 90 years ago. Yes, it’s that old – and yes, it’s still that good. In a great turn, it’s now actually even better with this “Masters of Cinema” release from Eureka!, which, for the first time outside of Germany, gives us Murnau’s domestic cut – the original cut created for screening within the country of origin which contains all of the best takes and shots and forms his actual, preferred vision.
Picture quality for the domestic cut is startlingly good. Sporting a 1080p high-definition transfer, it’s as close to perfect as one could likely ever expect Faust to look. Grain and print damage are obviously prevalent given the age of the material, and the image can appear rather soft at times, but honestly – you’ve never seen it as wonderfully presented as this, trust me. The export cut that most will be used to by now is also included but doesn’t receive the same meticulous treatment. It still looks decent but can’t compete with the clarity of the main showpiece. Both versions of the film also come on separate DVDs alongside the Blu-ray disc.
For the domestic cut you also have the choice of one of three different musical scores: Timothy Brock’s orchestral score, Stan Ambrose’s harp accompaniment, or Javier Pérez de Axpeitia’s piano arrangement. Backing this up is an incredible amount of special features which include a circa 40-minute discussion of the film with learned critic Tony Rayns; a German-language documentary that runs almost an hour dissecting nearly every facet of the film’s creation, entitled “The Language of Shadows”; a feature commentary by David Ehrenstein and Bill Krohn which proves very informed, insightful, and entertaining; a lengthy video comparison of the differences between the domestic and export cuts; and a 40-page booklet featuring various writings on the film (not included for review).
It all combines to form an excellent presentation and package for a film whose importance and ongoing relevance to cinema simply cannot be overstated and adds another gold star to the chart for Eureka!’s fantastic “Masters of Cinema” label.
Special Features
• Restored 1080p transfer of the domestic German print with three optional scores: Timothy Brock orchestral score, Stan Ambrose harp score, and Javier Pérez de Axpeitia piano score
• Export version of the film
• DVD versions of both cuts of the film
• A discussion of the film with critic Tony Rayns
• Audio commentary by critics David Ehrenstein and Bill Krohn
• The Language of Shadows documentary
• 40-page booklet containing an essay by Peter Spooner, writing on the film by Eric Rohmer, and rare archival imagery
• Version comparison (Domestic and Export)
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