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Faust

Play trailer Poster for Faust 1926 1h 57m Drama Fantasy Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In this classic of silent cinema, the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) makes a bet with an archangel that a good man's soul can be corrupted. Mephisto sets his sights on the thoughtful old alchemist Faust (Gösta Ekman), who is desperately trying to save his village from a plague. He is able to help the villagers, thanks to Mephisto, but further dealings with the devil lead Faust on a decadent downward spiral. Can he redeem his soul before it's too late?
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Faust

Critics Reviews

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Wilella Waldorf New York Post Oct 7, 2020
It can be said without exaggeration that each individual scene in this production is in itself a perfect picture. Go to Full Review C. Hooper Trask Variety Oct 7, 2020
From the standpoint of taste and photographic brilliance it Is doubtful whether there has ever been a production that surpassed it. Go to Full Review Times (UK) Staff The Times (UK) Oct 7, 2020
If we do not trouble our heads about the Faust legend or about consistency in the interpretation of it, the film, considered as a succession of swift, brilliant scenes, is a good one. Go to Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Jan 8, 2022
It confirmed within the industry that the director was some kind of genius. Go to Full Review Carl Sandburg Chicago Daily News Dec 14, 2021
[Faust] is one of the most beautiful of all works of the moving picture. It should be in the library of every art school and museum of America. Go to Full Review Robert E. Sherwood LIFE Oct 5, 2021
It seems incredible that [Emil Jannings] could give a performance that is almost ludicrously unimpressive -- that is, artificial in the most operatic sense; but such is the shocking case. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Joaquin U @Joaquin1 11 hrs ago A gem. One of the greatest movies of all time. A drama full of great moments, going through several genres with grace; it can be scary and tender, cruel and funny, exciting and sad. The cast is great. The script and direction are legendary. Murnau’s use of light, shadow, and effects makes the imagery unforgettable. For those thinking silent movies might be boring, watching this Murnau masterpiece should change their minds. This is cinema and art. See more Huntin P @PaxVobiscum80 Sep 15, 2026 I suppose, when a lot of people hear the name Murnau, they immediately think of Nosferatu. Never mind that one! Faust! FAUST! I first saw this after tying myself to the mast, figuratively speaking, in order to endure 95% of Christopher Nolan's abysmal Odyssey movie (2026). Faust, made one hundred years earlier (!) is one hundred times the quality of that redundant piece of postmodern, anti-heroic garbage. Murnau, steeped in the culture that created the Faust legend, and fully apprised of his responsibility as a filmmaker to do it justice, utilises every filmic trick, every cinematic and theatrical illusion, to give the life to the story. The sheer cornucopia of effects, overflowing abundance of imagination, of visual poetry, make Faust a treasure for all time. I recommend the piano soundtrack version, with its quotations of Schubert and Mussorgsky and suchlike. Please, do yourself a favour, dear reader. Do not succumb to the artistic and spiritual emptiness of our time. See Faust 1926. See more Levi J @Lev77 Jul 27, 2026 A classic silent masterpiece from the 1920's. F.W. Murnau exquisitely captures the influential, symbolic story of good versus evil, exploring power, corruption, love, and growth. This film also has a wonderful soundtrack, with innovative special effects and visual elements. See more Teddy B @RT38636458 Jan 2, 2025 Operatic, masterful and chilling, 'Faust' may be F. W Murnau's definitive masterpiece in my eyes. See more Alec B @Alec97 Oct 21, 2024 Every shot in the movie (even the title cards) is unbelievably beautiful. A work of exquisite craftsmanship and about as close to pure cinema as one could ever get. See more Miguel Ángel P @RT27901232 Oct 5, 2024 Great film. Best sound track. Without doubt one of the best film in the history. See more Read all reviews
Faust

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Cast & Crew

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F.W. Murnau

Director

Gösta Ekman

Faust

Emil Jannings

Mephisto

Camilla Horn

Gretchen

Yvette Guilbert

Marthe Schwerdtlein

William Dieterle

Valentin

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Faust

Faust (1926) Faust (1926) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In this classic of silent cinema, the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) makes a bet with an archangel that a good man's soul can be corrupted. Mephisto sets his sights on the thoughtful old alchemist Faust (Gösta Ekman), who is desperately trying to save his village from a plague. He is able to help the villagers, thanks to Mephisto, but further dealings with the devil lead Faust on a decadent downward spiral. Can he redeem his soul before it's too late?
Director
F.W. Murnau
Producer
Erich Pommer
Screenwriter
Hans Kyser, Gerhart Hauptmann
Production Co
Universum Film A.G.
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 6, 1926, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.6K
Runtime
1h 57m
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