31 (or so) Days of Terror: Faust

Horror has been with film almost since the beginning and many of those early Silents are rightly considered classics to this day. Many of these were the work of German directors who pioneered a dreamlike, expressionist aesthetic. They were the precursors of the Universal and Hammer movies that would define the genre in the decades to follow. And for a perfect example, look no further than Nosferatu director F.W. Murnau's 1926 adaptation of the legend of Faust.

The story should be familiar. During the Renaissance, Germany is swept by the plague. The old doctor Faust, the only doctor for miles, is desperate to help the people dying but his efforts are for naught. With no other options, he summons the demon Mephistopheles who agrees to give Faust all his demonic powers in exchange for his soul. Faust agrees but soon having this nearly limitless power warps his priorities. He begins using the power selfishly, restoring his youth and trying to seduce a beautiful girl. How far will Faust go before his soul is beyond redemption?

Mephistopheles looms overhead.

The odd thing about this version of Faust is despite the prominent role of the Devil in the story, this is presented as more of a fairy tale. Most of the horror elements are in the first half of the story, where plague ravages Faust's town and Mephistopheles first goes about his business. Murnau shoots these parts of the story with all the standard tropes of German Expressionism. The hallucinatory scenery, the tall buildings and narrow alleys, the cramped interiors, the in-camera special effects; all are on display here. It's odd to say for a black & white film, but this first half is much darker with grey skies and scenes set at night. It creates a very foreboding mood established by the iconic image of Mephistopheles' giant demonic form towering over the town.

But the second half, which begins after Mephistopheles restores Faust's youth, becomes much lighter. White becomes more dominant over grey as Faust returns to town during a joyous Easter celebration. This is where the film becomes more of a fairy tale, the tone shifting to romantic from the first half's grim desperation. It's in this half that Faust falls in love with Gretchen and the story focuses more on his attempts to woo her. You can see the sort of imagery used in later Disney fairy tales being first used here, lots of edenic meadows and dreams of a loved one's face. The rest of the story plays out quite like a Disney film as well, with Faust having to flee after a misunderstanding only to return at his beloved's darkest hour.

Emil Jannings as Mephistopheles in human form.

This is where Murnau's adaptation turns away from most versions of this story. The usual theme of absolute power corrupting absolutely is downplayed in favor of a love conquers all story arc. In most versions of this story, Faust summons Mephistopheles out of boredom and tries to seduce Gretchen to corrupt her innocence. True to the fashion of a selfish jerk who uses women, he winds up in hell at the end of the story for his arrogance. But Murnau's film gives Faust a nobility he lacked before, as he only summons Mephistopheles because he's desperate (to solve a problem Mephistopheles caused) and his interest in Gretchen is truly out of love. Because of this change, the arc of the story changes. Instead of being about a guy who abuses his absolute power and suffers deservedly for it, it becomes a story about a good man who out of desperation makes a terrible choice but still tries to get something positive out of it. He falls in love but when his terrible choice makes her life worse, he regrets the choice and rejects it to help save her. That's what I mean by a love conquers all ending, instead of Faust going to hell at the end his turning against Mephistopheles for Gretchen's sake redeems his soul.

This turn to a lighter, more fable-esque retelling works though and the fact that it's a silent film is the reason why. One of the unique things about Silents is that because they were so obviously unreal with the lack of sound and color, filmmakers of the time were freer to experiment and be more fantastical. It's why their effects and images still captivate almost 100 years after they were made. Because everything was shot on sets or done in camera, everything has a uncanny quality to it. By being unable to replicate reality, reality becomes less important. The audience is more receptive to the fantasy elements, because the line between fantasy and reality is so thin to begin with.

I couldn't leave without mentioning Emil Jannings as Mephistopheles. He's as animated as usual for Silent film acting, but because he's playing the Devil he gets to have the most fun. His overacting fits more naturally than everyone else because he's playing such a larger than life character. Murnau focuses a lot on his piercing white eyes, they're the only constant throughout Mephistopheles' many transformations throughout the film. I understand why too, they are the most visually striking element of his face and just emphasize Mephistopheles' alien quality. Even amongst all the other fairy tale visuals he stands out.

Faust is an understandably iconic and influential film. Murnau creates memorable visuals that befit its fairy tale tone and story. It's definitely a slow film and those unused to the more languid pace of Silents may have a harder time watching it. It's worth it to experience a piece of film history but skippable if you're just looking for some thrills and chills.

Classic cinema, but not as horrific as Murnau's Nosferatu.

Final Score: 4/5