Weighed down with tedium and old-fashioned dialogue (using the verse's 'Old English' language) that worked on the written page but is misplaced on the screen.
Doctor Faustus (1968)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:4
Fresh:1
Rotten:3
Average Rating:N/A
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: In his thirst for knowledge and power, Dr. Faustus (Richard Burton) shuns science and turns to magic. He summons the devil's minion Mephistopheles and makes a deadly deal with the devil. In... In his thirst for knowledge and power, Dr. Faustus (Richard Burton) shuns science and turns to magic. He summons the devil's minion Mephistopheles and makes a deadly deal with the devil. In exchange for being "Great Emperor of the World," and having the beautiful Helen of Troy (Elizabeth Taylor) for his concubine, Faustus promises Mephistopheles his soul. However, the price of power proves too high for Faustus, as earthly pleasures become insignificant in contrast with the loss of his immortal spirit. After mounting a production of Christopher Marlowe's 16th century play "Doctor Faustus" for the stage, Burton embarked--with the help of Oxford University--on the weighty mission of putting Marlowe's immortal verse on film, and this was the result. Burton gives a typically strong performance in this curiosity full of strong, bizarre imagery. [More]
Starring: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Williams, Ian Marter
Starring: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Williams, Ian Marter, Andreas Teuber, Nevill Coghill
Director: Richard Burton, Nevill Coghill
Director: Richard Burton, Nevill Coghill
Screenwriter: Nevill Coghill
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Reviews for Doctor Faustus
The overall effect is like a cross between a garishly colored Hammer horror film and a textbook example of '60s hallucinogenic trendiness.
Doctor Faustus is a complete misfire on every single level, a failure the likes of which most supposedly bad movies can't even come close to.
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