“Faust” ( German: Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage ) is a silent film of 1926 by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau based on the German legend of Dr. Faust , as well as Goethe’s tragedy of the same name and Christopher Marlo ’s play “ Dr. Faust ”.
| Faust | |
|---|---|
| Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage | |
 | |
| Genre | Horror Mystic |
| Producer | Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau |
| Producer | Erich Pommer |
| Author script | Hans Kieser |
| In the main cast | Yosta Ekman (Senior) Emil Yannings Camilla horn |
| Operator | |
| Composer | |
| Film company | UFA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Duration | 85 min |
| A country | Germany |
| Tongue | |
| Year | 1926 |
| IMDb | ID 0016847 |
Story
Archangel Michael and Satan bet. Satan claims that he can seduce any person living on Earth. The subject of the bet is Faust ( Gesta Ekman (senior) ) - the famous learned alchemist. Satan sends a plague to his city. Faust tries to find a cure, but fails. Enraged, he throws his books into the fire, but a spell appears on the pages of one of them to summon a demon. In desperation, Faust goes with this book to the intersection at midnight and casts a spell. Mephistopheles ( Emil Yannings ) in the image of the evil witcher is to him. In exchange for his soul, he gives Faust the power to revive the dead. Faust revives one deceased from the plague and shocked townspeople begin to bring the dead to him. However, the very first woman Faust tries to revive has a cross in her hands, and Mephistopheles magic turns out to be powerless. An angry mob drives Faust with stones at his laboratory.
Then Mephistopheles offers Faust instead of happiness for all, happiness for him alone - eternal youth. Faust agrees, and Mephistopheles turns him into a youth, and he is transformed into a "Goethe" demon nobleman in a black cloak with a sword. On the mantle of Mephistopheles, they fly to Parma, where in Faust, the arrival of which Mephistopheles arranged as a visit to the countless rich eastern prince, the ruler of the city ( Ganna Ralph ) falls in love. However, soon Faust becomes bored with her and he demands that Mephistopheles bring him back to his homeland.
The city meets an army that returned victoriously from the Turkish war. Faust, along with parishioners, enters the cathedral, Mephistopheles is waiting for him outside. In the cathedral, Faust first meets Gretchen ( Camille Horn ) and falls in love with her. One night he comes to her house, but Mephistopheles makes her mother Gretchen and her brother find out about the date and catch the lovers. Mother Gretchen dies, and her brother fights on swords with Faust. A blow from behind Mephistopheles kills his brother and forces Faust to flee, and Gretchen remains alone in front of the bodies of his relatives.
The disappearance of Faust makes Gretchen's life, which gives birth to his child, unbearable. Expelled by neighbors and despised by all, she unsuccessfully seeks refuge. In the end, she is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to be burned at the stake. Hearing her call for help, Faust refuses his newfound youth and his life in order to save Gretchen. He requires Mephistopheles to bring him to her, and they both burn at the stake and ascend to heaven.
The devil demands to give him land, since he won the bet, to which the archangel replies that one word cancels the bet, and this word is “love”.
Cast
- Gesta Ekman (Sr.) - Faust
- Emil Jannings - Mephistopheles
- Camilla Horn - Gretchen / Margarita
- Frida Richard - mother Gretchen / mother Margarita
- William Dieterl - Valentine, brother of Gretchen / brother of Margarita
- Yvette Gilber - Marta Schwerdtlein, Aunt Gretchen / Aunt Margarita
- Eric Barclay - Duke of Parma
- Hannah Ralph - Duchess of Parma
- Werner Fueterer - Archangel Michael