Your words say it best: one of the greatest, most astonishing films I have ever seen. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. Nosferatu gets all the attention but Faust is the one everyone should be watching!
I agree! Nosferatu is wonderful but this film is really something special. I'd like to see it receive more acclaim in the present day. Murnau deserves far more recognition. Thanks for watching and commenting :)
I read Marlowe's Dr. Faustus when I was a teen and was entranced by it. When I got deeper into film and the history there, I eventually came across this and it renewed my love for the story. Murnau was a creative giant in the twentieth century.
P.S. I know what you mean by the ending, magnificent as it is, but I completely agree that if one was religious - which most people were in 1926 - you would get a much more "happy", satisfying feeling. it's like when Christ forgives the thief on the cross next to him type thing, "you can be saved at the last minute". For the rest of us, it's more like "damn, Gretchen got a raw deal!." :P / One more time: FANTASTIC, very moving reaction, worthy of the film you're reviewing!!! I want to now shout from the rooftops about this film AND this reaction to it!! :D
That's an interesting point - one aspect of the context that is missing today, for most viewers. I think most of us now would side with Gretchen, whereas the film focuses on Faust's salvation as its "happy ending." Thanks again for your very kind comments. :)
Oh my gosh, Tengy, this is one of the greatest reactions I've ever seen, to any movie!!!! So emotional, I was not expecting that at all! Absolutely one of the greatest movie experiences I ever had, I'm so happy you felt the same, I always want to shout from the rooftops about this movie!! I'm not sure if you saw this in your research, but young Faust and old Faust are played by the same actor!!! That's all make-up!!! Your observations about the pandemic parallels, your expressions of awe at the artistic achievement and your remarks about the power of human imagination.....I'm getting goosebumps just WRITING about it! Murnau did three jaw-dropping masterpieces in a row: "The Last Laugh", "Faust" and "Sunrise" A Song Of Two Humans". You're definitely in for a treat, now that you've gotten a taste for F.W.! Answering a few of your questions: 1.) "Ten Commandments" was actually earlier (1923). (The Biblical section of that movie is still amazing to watch.) 2.) I don't believe Emil Jannings ever worked with Louise Brooks, but he did work with Marlene Dietrich in "The Blue Angel". He stars in"The Last Laugh", super emotional movie and Janning's performance has got to be one of the greatest ever. I believe Orson Welles might have taken inspiration from it for his amazing Falstaff in "Chimes At Midnight"; I know he always spoke highly of Jannings. Anyways, LOVED this reaction!!!!
I'm so delighted that enjoyed this. And I'm so very glad I got to see this incredible move. It says so much about Murnau that a film made close to 100 years ago still packs such an enormous emotional punch. He really was in a class of his own. I was very sad to learn that he died at such a young age - what a loss to the world and cinema. But yes I am very keen to see his other works now. I was actually thinking about the 1956 10 Commandments being influenced by the visuals here - doesn't Faust look like Heston in that scene? Thanks again for being so encouraging. I really appreciate it :) I want more people to know about this movie too! ( I just bought the dvd for my dad as a present, trying to spread the word any way I can!) :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies I know exactly what you're talking about, I totally agree that they look similar - but to the 1922 version! The Moses with the tablet scenes in the silent version are actually even more like "Faust"! The '56 Ten Commandments is very much modeled on the silent version (both of which were directed by Cecil B. Demille). Maybe it was Murnau who was affected by Demille's hugely popular movie from a few years earlier. (It probably was more like both movies were inspired by the same paintings or drawings from earlier centuries!). The silent "Ten Commandments" has a modern section surrounding the Moses section; I can't remember how I feel about the modern section (it is Demille, after all! Could be good, could be bad!) but the Biblical section is jaw-dropping. It feels like you're watching the actual Bible! "Faust", though, is the superior film. I'm SO happy - not just happy, I'm elated - that you loved this movie as much as I do. It's only been a few years since I first saw it, so I totally know you feel! "Wow"! I'm STILL buzzing from having first seen it!
Thank you for such an honest reaction to this film. The parallels to our current situation do hit much too close to home. Faust is an alchemist for many reasons. Alchemy is not just about the physical goal of turning lead into gold, but also the spiritual level of turning our spirit/soul from lead to gold, finding eternal life (the cure for disease) and understanding how our actions reflect/influence other people's lives. It is through his love and in his asking for forgiveness that grants his redemption.
Thanks for those insightful comments Jeff. Yes this is a very interesting dimension of the story to consider - the other aspects of alchemy. Isn't it amazing how a film made 100 years ago can still pack such an emotional punch? I guess its themes are timeless/timely. I feel that Murnau has achieved some kind of alchemy here, turning this story into cinema "gold" and creating such a magnificent work of art from the simple technology/resources available to him at that time. It seems to transcend the limitations of its time.
Very nice pic. You always bring us films nobody else delves into. A lot of reactors on UA-cam don't do that. It seems most of them do the same movies everyone else is doing and that doesn't impress me at all. You travel your own road and it's risky. That impresses me. A good film to do if you haven't seen it yet would be 1921's The Phantom Carriage. Thanks for the obscure movie choices. You're the tops.👍👍😀😀
I really appreciate your encouraging comments. I hope I might be a doorway for people to experience some new films that they might not have encountered before - I know some people are sort of frightened about silent films - so maybe watching it with me might feel less intimidating? I don't know. That's what I hope anyway. I did do a video about The Phantom Carriage a while back (a review, not a reaction). Another absolutely incredible movie that seems way ahead of its time. Isn't it fantastic that we can still enjoy films made 100 years ago?! I love that. :)
When the average UA-camr reacts to a movie I haven't seen before, I usually just shrug and bypass the video, but when you react to something I haven't seen, I anticipate an interesting experience. Your movie selections tend to fall into the category of hidden gems or not that great but fun to discuss.
Wow, thanks! I'd love for more people to see this movie, it's just so amazing. I've really been enjoying discovering these treasures of silent film. Of course I'd love to get more views, but at the same time, I don't want to pretend to be interested in movies that don't interest me. I have a really "so bad it's fantastic" one coming up soon (from the 1970s) that I hope you might also enjoy. It's good to mix things up a bit :D Thanks so much for your encouraging comments - much appreciated.
The Last Laugh is a wonderful film. It features more innovative camera work in the long shot through the hotel to the door where Emil Jannings' character works as the doorman. The camera was apparently mounted on a bicycle for that shot. It's also one of the most "silent" of silent films as there's only one intertitle, near the end.
Thank you! And I agree, it is overlooked. I only heard about it quite recently through viewers recommending it to me. Just jaw-dropping stuff. Imagine the challenges in achieving these effects in 1926! that multi-level tracking shot alone - how did he even think to do it? It's crazy!
This is my most favorite silent movie of all time. Thank you for doing this! Emil Jannings is my favorite silent film actor. There's just no one else like him. In this film, he contorts his face so well into all sorts of expressions---from downright hilarious faces to creepy, ghoulish faces.
So glad you enjoyed this! Jannings is masterful, magnificent! This film is an astounding work of art in every way. One of the best things I have ever seen.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies I agree 200% with you. :D Jannings was also good in "Tartuffe" (another Murnau film, 1925) and "The Broken Jug" (NOT a Murnau film, 1937). I don't know if you're familiar with those films or not, but if you're not, here's the links to them in case you ever wish to check them out. :) Tartuffe: ua-cam.com/video/CoXxIyF93Z4/v-deo.html The Broken Jug: ua-cam.com/video/oRETq09E2wI/v-deo.html Side note: Jannings made me laugh so hard in "The Broken Jug." He was HILARIOUS, especially in the beginning scenes. One hilarious example was when he was eating much later on in the film. He offered somebody a large slice of meat, the guy said "no, thanks," and Jannings shrugged, said something that sounded like the word "good," and popped the whole slice of meat into his mouth! XD As far as "Tartuffe" is concerned, I really loved watching that one. I found it to be a very mysterious movie in some parts, and even "edge-of-your-seat." It wasn't one of Marnau's most popular works, but I thought it was fantastic.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Also, in addition to my previous post, I learned something interesting while I was looking up Faust here on UA-cam. There is at least one other version of this same movie, and it's all the same, except that many of the shots are different in various degrees. Like the actors---Jannings, for example, makes different faces and motions in a lot of the scenes, sometimes subtle, sometimes drastically different. Here's the link to that version of the movie I found (by the way, I LOVE Timothy Brock's musical score in this version---in my opinion, it is THE movie soundtrack for the film): ua-cam.com/video/fM0DG-Brzns/v-deo.html It's interesting to note that back in those times, the filmmakers did not have the ability to make copies of movies the way we are able to today. They could only do it by reshooting scenes.
Amazing imagery and on such a grand scale for such an early production. Beautifully shot. I wonder if Disney had the imagery in mind, when making Fantasia. As well as the impact of the film itself, I imagine your emotional reaction was brought on by the obvious parallels with the global pandemic today. I had some similar reactions to films in 2021. We've been affected over these last two years , A lot more than we might want to let on or know ourselves. 🙂
That's what gets me, Steve - Murnau was really pushing the limits of what could be done, even what could be imagined, for film at this point. I just love how ambitious it is, and it really lands all of that tricky stuff so brilliantly. I think I did read somewhere that it was an inspiration behind Fantasia. I think the plague content really took me by surprise. It's both reassuring, and very sad, to realise humanity has been through all of this before....many times...we're connected to the past in all sorts of ways.
Great video about Friedrich Murnau's masterpiece Faust 1926. It is an incredible movie with a big budget and great special effects of the time, I have been lucky enough to see it recently and it has impressed me a lot, the end of the film is truly an anthology of the best endings I have seen , it is a film that has left me fascinated. The entire cast of the film is very good with great performances, especially Emil Jannings as Mephisto, I think he is one of the best actors in the history of German cinema. I remember him very well in the masterpiece by Josef Von Sternberg, The Blue Angel 1930 with the great Marlene Dietrich. Faust, I think is one of the best films by this great director, perhaps along with Nosferatu 1922 and Sunrise 1927. There was also a remake of the film entitled Doctor Faustus 1967, starring and directed by the great British actor Richard Burton, it is a film that is good but does not come close to the masterpiece of Friedrich Murnau.
Thanks Marco! I have seen the Richard Burton one a long time ago - I don't remember it very well. It would be very hard for any film to come close to what Murnau achieves with his interpretation of Faust though. Can you imagine what it would be like to see Faust on a big screen at the cinema? That would be amazing I think. I would love to see it that way. The artists of German cinema seem so far ahead of what was happening in America at this time. I am very much looking forward to seeing Sunrise - I hope I can watch it soon. I am very much in awe of Murnau. what a genius he was! Thanks for your great comments :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Thank you for your response Tengy. I totally agree Friedrich Murnau has been a cinematic genius very difficult to match, his other masterpiece Sunrise 1927, will be well worth seeing too. Greetings.
What an enjoyable video. Yes, Faust is a great film. It's interesting the way it seems to include not just elements of Gunod's opera but also a touch of Wagner's Tannhauser as well.
Yes, an amazing movie was Faust! There was another horror film that came out the same year in 1926, that was similar called "The Magician". It starred German actor Paul Wegener (The Golem) as a dark alchemist, in the mold of a mad scientist like Victor Frankenstein. Strangely, it's an American film, but was filmed in Paris. Both of these films made me think of three other great films from the 1950's. "The Magician" in 1958 and "The Seventh Seal" in 1957, both brilliant Swedish films that starred Max Von Sydow. There is also another movie called "The Mad Magician" in 1954 (a year after House of Wax) which starred Vincent Price. All very good films, but only "The Seventh Seal" matches the intensity of "Faust".
Thanks for your great comments, as always, Bob! I would love to watch The Magician too. Paul Wegener is such an interesting character. I think I tried watching The Seventh Seal back in high school but i was maybe too young to get into it. I should have another look. I really love Scott Walker's song of the same name which turns the film into a remarkable musical journey.
It's just so good, isn't it! As you say, every aspect is really incredible...I'm floored that this was made almost 100 years ago. It's mindblowing stuff. Murnau was a real master of his art. Thanks for watching and commenting. :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Yeah! Absolutely floored on how good it is! And for that time?! Wow. Yes, Murnau was amazing! Everyone always talk about Nosferatu but I never heard anyone talking about this one.
Murnua made two of the three greatest movies of the 20s IMO, 'Faust' and 'Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans.' I don't cry in movies, but Sunrise is one of the few that makes me sob. The third is Charlie Chaplin's masterpiece 'The Gold Rush.' Definitely watch those if you haven't yet :)
First thing he was trying to save her (symbolised by him trying to reach out to her as Mephisto was dragging him away on his horses) he actually stopped him deceiving him that she would be all right and also he was barred from saving her all this time only rebelling against Mephisto in the very end, so no at least in this movie adaptation of the story he was actually trying to reach out to her all this time. However he did essentially abandon her in the 1807 original play this movie was adapted from, where his character was far more cruel and evil, going as far as evicting an old couple from their home in the final chapter just because he was jealous of their happiness, in fact in the original play even Mephisto himself was appalled by some of the Faust's activities.
Wow, that's interesting. I'm not familiar with the earlier versions of the story. I've read there is a silent film that portrays a female Faust character and I'm very keen to see that one too. :)
Hi Tengi----terrific reaction to Faust-----and to many of your film reviews. I don't know if you have reviewed another silent german classic--The Golem, but it would certainly fit in with your other film choices. One film I would really like to see you react to is a lesser known gem of a film---Les Yeux Sans Visage [Eyes Without A Face] It's a french film directed by Georges Franju---it is hauntingly beautiful and horrifying at the same time. The images of the lead actress [Delphine Seyrig]---who much of the film wears a completely blank, white mask are extremely moving. Her ability to convey so much. despite this is a great piece of acting---and the film is a heartbreaking decline into madness. Great climax!
Hi Alan, and thanks for your great comments. I think The Golem was one of the first videos I made as a practice one but I never uploaded it here (technical issues!). I did however write an article about it for British horror publication We Belong Dead :) I am really keen to see Eyes Without a Face - I saw it once in high school and it made a huge impression but I haven't seen it since. I love Delphine Seyrig in Daughters Of Darkness. I hope to see this film in the near future. If I can't do a reaction video about it (copyright issues) I will do a more traditional review about it. :)
There is a fan made video of a song called “Faustian Echoes “ by a band called Agalloch. The song is about the movie and goes well with this movie. You should definitely check it out. It’s 20+ minutes long and amazing.
The ending is troubling, but in Goethe’s original, it isn’t Faust’s love for Gretchen that saves him, it’s her invincible love for him, his recognition of how deeply he has failed her, and, ultimately, Gretchen’s forgiveness of him when he seeks her forgiveness from her.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies moon zero two it's a unwatchable movie the mst3k episode was the funniest in my opinion problem with moon zero two was the story although the effects were good,good animation good music and a wildly imaginative set design 😌
A lyrical fable version of Goethe's famous story, where Mephisto and an angel gamble with Faust's spirit, the entire film has an aura of delicate beauty. When Faust's town is shrouded with a pestilence, Faust summons Mephisto and agrees to a trial selling of his soul, in the hopes that he can save the townspeople. When Faust does indeed cure the town, Mephisto tempts him with the promise of youth and Gretchen, the most beautiful woman in Italy. Misty, often eerie, fiendish imagery, like satanic birds, hooded men, flying horsemen and Caligari-inspired exteriors fill the screen. When Faust signs his contract, the words burn themselves into the page as Mephisto dips his feather pen in Faust's vein. A wonderful touch near the beginning has Faust trying to escape Mephisto but having him appear wherever he goes, always a few steps ahead. Both Faust, as a young man, and Gretchen are lovely, and Jannings gives an excellent performance as the Dark Prince. A masterpiece of poetic atmosphere that ages Murnau's technical mastery wondrously. watch the anime Madoka Magica that was inspired by faust by Goethe.
Hi Aglaya and thanks for your great comments. Yes, it does have a delicate and haunting beauty. I have not seen Madoka Magica - that sounds interesting. I also read about an Italian film that presents a female Faust story "Rapsodia Satanica" which I would love to see - but I can't find a copy with English subtitles...
Also, here is a link to a theatrical trailer involving a really awesome-looking film that Jannings starred in. It was called "The Patriot," done in 1928. ua-cam.com/video/JrdCaqpbc70/v-deo.html However, I was deeply saddened to learn that this film is now lost. Such a shame, really, because I just know by watching this trailer that it would have been so awesome to see. I just know that Jannings must have done an amazing job; even the way he looks in his Russian czar costume---it's so perfect for him! And all the faces and gestures he makes in the trailer---again, classic Jannings at one of his greatest.
Romans 11:29 says, “The gifts of God are unrepentant.” When God gives a gift, He does not take it away, even when it is misused. The punishment for misusing God’s gifts is to suffer the repercussions. According to Faust, the greatest gift of all is freewill. Faust’s acceptance of responsibility is enough to spare him from the eternal fire.
Your words say it best: one of the greatest, most astonishing films I have ever seen. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. Nosferatu gets all the attention but Faust is the one everyone should be watching!
I agree! Nosferatu is wonderful but this film is really something special. I'd like to see it receive more acclaim in the present day. Murnau deserves far more recognition.
Thanks for watching and commenting :)
I read Marlowe's Dr. Faustus when I was a teen and was entranced by it. When I got deeper into film and the history there, I eventually came across this and it renewed my love for the story. Murnau was a creative giant in the twentieth century.
P.S. I know what you mean by the ending, magnificent as it is, but I completely agree that if one was religious - which most people were in 1926 - you would get a much more "happy", satisfying feeling. it's like when Christ forgives the thief on the cross next to him type thing, "you can be saved at the last minute". For the rest of us, it's more like "damn, Gretchen got a raw deal!." :P / One more time: FANTASTIC, very moving reaction, worthy of the film you're reviewing!!! I want to now shout from the rooftops about this film AND this reaction to it!! :D
That's an interesting point - one aspect of the context that is missing today, for most viewers. I think most of us now would side with Gretchen, whereas the film focuses on Faust's salvation as its "happy ending."
Thanks again for your very kind comments. :)
Oh my gosh, Tengy, this is one of the greatest reactions I've ever seen, to any movie!!!! So emotional, I was not expecting that at all! Absolutely one of the greatest movie experiences I ever had, I'm so happy you felt the same, I always want to shout from the rooftops about this movie!! I'm not sure if you saw this in your research, but young Faust and old Faust are played by the same actor!!! That's all make-up!!! Your observations about the pandemic parallels, your expressions of awe at the artistic achievement and your remarks about the power of human imagination.....I'm getting goosebumps just WRITING about it! Murnau did three jaw-dropping masterpieces in a row: "The Last Laugh", "Faust" and "Sunrise" A Song Of Two Humans". You're definitely in for a treat, now that you've gotten a taste for F.W.! Answering a few of your questions: 1.) "Ten Commandments" was actually earlier (1923). (The Biblical section of that movie is still amazing to watch.) 2.) I don't believe Emil Jannings ever worked with Louise Brooks, but he did work with Marlene Dietrich in "The Blue Angel". He stars in"The Last Laugh", super emotional movie and Janning's performance has got to be one of the greatest ever. I believe Orson Welles might have taken inspiration from it for his amazing Falstaff in "Chimes At Midnight"; I know he always spoke highly of Jannings. Anyways, LOVED this reaction!!!!
I'm so delighted that enjoyed this. And I'm so very glad I got to see this incredible move. It says so much about Murnau that a film made close to 100 years ago still packs such an enormous emotional punch. He really was in a class of his own. I was very sad to learn that he died at such a young age - what a loss to the world and cinema. But yes I am very keen to see his other works now.
I was actually thinking about the 1956 10 Commandments being influenced by the visuals here - doesn't Faust look like Heston in that scene?
Thanks again for being so encouraging. I really appreciate it :)
I want more people to know about this movie too! ( I just bought the dvd for my dad as a present, trying to spread the word any way I can!) :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies I know exactly what you're talking about, I totally agree that they look similar - but to the 1922 version! The Moses with the tablet scenes in the silent version are actually even more like "Faust"! The '56 Ten Commandments is very much modeled on the silent version (both of which were directed by Cecil B. Demille). Maybe it was Murnau who was affected by Demille's hugely popular movie from a few years earlier. (It probably was more like both movies were inspired by the same paintings or drawings from earlier centuries!). The silent "Ten Commandments" has a modern section surrounding the Moses section; I can't remember how I feel about the modern section (it is Demille, after all! Could be good, could be bad!) but the Biblical section is jaw-dropping. It feels like you're watching the actual Bible! "Faust", though, is the superior film. I'm SO happy - not just happy, I'm elated - that you loved this movie as much as I do. It's only been a few years since I first saw it, so I totally know you feel! "Wow"! I'm STILL buzzing from having first seen it!
A century passes between that bewitching of the Dutchess and Faust's return to his home town...
Ok. That's in the novel I guess? In the film the timeline is a little foggier.
Delighted that you're reviewing Murnau's 'Faust', looking forward to your appreciations and criticisms!
I'm so glad I got the chance to see this - what an incredible movie!
Thank you for such an honest reaction to this film. The parallels to our current situation do hit much too close to home. Faust is an alchemist for many reasons. Alchemy is not just about the physical goal of turning lead into gold, but also the spiritual level of turning our spirit/soul from lead to gold, finding eternal life (the cure for disease) and understanding how our actions reflect/influence other people's lives. It is through his love and in his asking for forgiveness that grants his redemption.
Thanks for those insightful comments Jeff. Yes this is a very interesting dimension of the story to consider - the other aspects of alchemy.
Isn't it amazing how a film made 100 years ago can still pack such an emotional punch? I guess its themes are timeless/timely.
I feel that Murnau has achieved some kind of alchemy here, turning this story into cinema "gold" and creating such a magnificent work of art from the simple technology/resources available to him at that time. It seems to transcend the limitations of its time.
Very nice pic. You always bring us films nobody else delves into. A lot of reactors on UA-cam don't do that. It seems most of them do the same movies everyone else is doing and that doesn't impress me at all. You travel your own road and it's risky. That impresses me. A good film to do if you haven't seen it yet would be 1921's The Phantom Carriage. Thanks for the obscure movie choices. You're the tops.👍👍😀😀
I really appreciate your encouraging comments. I hope I might be a doorway for people to experience some new films that they might not have encountered before - I know some people are sort of frightened about silent films - so maybe watching it with me might feel less intimidating? I don't know. That's what I hope anyway.
I did do a video about The Phantom Carriage a while back (a review, not a reaction). Another absolutely incredible movie that seems way ahead of its time. Isn't it fantastic that we can still enjoy films made 100 years ago?! I love that. :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies ua-cam.com/video/5IqM0i7scF0/v-deo.html
When the average UA-camr reacts to a movie I haven't seen before, I usually just shrug and bypass the video, but when you react to something I haven't seen, I anticipate an interesting experience. Your movie selections tend to fall into the category of hidden gems or not that great but fun to discuss.
Wow, thanks! I'd love for more people to see this movie, it's just so amazing.
I've really been enjoying discovering these treasures of silent film. Of course I'd love to get more views, but at the same time, I don't want to pretend to be interested in movies that don't interest me.
I have a really "so bad it's fantastic" one coming up soon (from the 1970s) that I hope you might also enjoy. It's good to mix things up a bit :D
Thanks so much for your encouraging comments - much appreciated.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies 😎🙃just watched a interesting documentary on UA-cam about a actress and actor
@@only257 oh yeah, which actor and actress?
@@TengyTalksTVMovies About Debbie Reynolds and gene Kelly 😇
12:35 - 12:45 Emil Jannings was famously enamoured of Marlene Dietrich ('Lola Lola') in Josef von Sternbergs 1930 'Der blaue Engel' ('The Blue Angel')
Jannings also had the lead role in Murnau's 1924 'The Last Laugh'.
@@robertlancaster4538 Amazing performance!
Ah yes, that rings a bell. I am really keen to see The Last Laugh now too. Jannings was superb in Faust!
The Last Laugh is a wonderful film. It features more innovative camera work in the long shot through the hotel to the door where Emil Jannings' character works as the doorman. The camera was apparently mounted on a bicycle for that shot. It's also one of the most "silent" of silent films as there's only one intertitle, near the end.
@@dlee827 I really want to see that! Sounds incredible.
Stunning! This seems to be overlooked frequently in discussions of groundbreaking visuals.
Loved your honest reaction!
Thank you! And I agree, it is overlooked. I only heard about it quite recently through viewers recommending it to me. Just jaw-dropping stuff. Imagine the challenges in achieving these effects in 1926! that multi-level tracking shot alone - how did he even think to do it? It's crazy!
This is my most favorite silent movie of all time. Thank you for doing this! Emil Jannings is my favorite silent film actor. There's just no one else like him. In this film, he contorts his face so well into all sorts of expressions---from downright hilarious faces to creepy, ghoulish faces.
So glad you enjoyed this! Jannings is masterful, magnificent! This film is an astounding work of art in every way. One of the best things I have ever seen.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies I agree 200% with you. :D Jannings was also good in "Tartuffe" (another Murnau film, 1925) and "The Broken Jug" (NOT a Murnau film, 1937). I don't know if you're familiar with those films or not, but if you're not, here's the links to them in case you ever wish to check them out. :)
Tartuffe:
ua-cam.com/video/CoXxIyF93Z4/v-deo.html
The Broken Jug:
ua-cam.com/video/oRETq09E2wI/v-deo.html
Side note: Jannings made me laugh so hard in "The Broken Jug." He was HILARIOUS, especially in the beginning scenes. One hilarious example was when he was eating much later on in the film. He offered somebody a large slice of meat, the guy said "no, thanks," and Jannings shrugged, said something that sounded like the word "good," and popped the whole slice of meat into his mouth! XD As far as "Tartuffe" is concerned, I really loved watching that one. I found it to be a very mysterious movie in some parts, and even "edge-of-your-seat." It wasn't one of Marnau's most popular works, but I thought it was fantastic.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Also, in addition to my previous post, I learned something interesting while I was looking up Faust here on UA-cam. There is at least one other version of this same movie, and it's all the same, except that many of the shots are different in various degrees. Like the actors---Jannings, for example, makes different faces and motions in a lot of the scenes, sometimes subtle, sometimes drastically different. Here's the link to that version of the movie I found (by the way, I LOVE Timothy Brock's musical score in this version---in my opinion, it is THE movie soundtrack for the film):
ua-cam.com/video/fM0DG-Brzns/v-deo.html
It's interesting to note that back in those times, the filmmakers did not have the ability to make copies of movies the way we are able to today. They could only do it by reshooting scenes.
@@VeronicaWoodbury thanks so much for your suggestions, I really want to see more Murnau films, and more Jannings :)
@@VeronicaWoodbury wow, I've never heard about an alternative version! How intriguing... :O
Very good movie
A pretty stunning achievement by a master director.
Amazing imagery and on such a grand scale for such an early production.
Beautifully shot.
I wonder if Disney had the imagery in mind, when making Fantasia.
As well as the impact of the film itself, I imagine your emotional reaction was brought on by the obvious parallels with the global pandemic today. I had some similar reactions to films in 2021.
We've been affected over these last two years , A lot more than we might want to let on or know ourselves. 🙂
That's what gets me, Steve - Murnau was really pushing the limits of what could be done, even what could be imagined, for film at this point. I just love how ambitious it is, and it really lands all of that tricky stuff so brilliantly. I think I did read somewhere that it was an inspiration behind Fantasia.
I think the plague content really took me by surprise. It's both reassuring, and very sad, to realise humanity has been through all of this before....many times...we're connected to the past in all sorts of ways.
Great video about Friedrich Murnau's masterpiece Faust 1926.
It is an incredible movie with a big budget and great special effects of the time, I have been lucky enough to see it recently and it has impressed me a lot, the end of the film is truly an anthology of the best endings I have seen , it is a film that has left me fascinated.
The entire cast of the film is very good with great performances, especially Emil Jannings as Mephisto, I think he is one of the best actors in the history of German cinema. I remember him very well in the masterpiece by Josef Von Sternberg, The Blue Angel 1930 with the great Marlene Dietrich.
Faust, I think is one of the best films by this great director, perhaps along with Nosferatu 1922 and Sunrise 1927.
There was also a remake of the film entitled Doctor Faustus 1967, starring and directed by the great British actor Richard Burton, it is a film that is good but does not come close to the masterpiece of Friedrich Murnau.
Thanks Marco! I have seen the Richard Burton one a long time ago - I don't remember it very well. It would be very hard for any film to come close to what Murnau achieves with his interpretation of Faust though.
Can you imagine what it would be like to see Faust on a big screen at the cinema? That would be amazing I think. I would love to see it that way.
The artists of German cinema seem so far ahead of what was happening in America at this time.
I am very much looking forward to seeing Sunrise - I hope I can watch it soon. I am very much in awe of Murnau. what a genius he was!
Thanks for your great comments :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Thank you for your response Tengy.
I totally agree Friedrich Murnau has been a cinematic genius very difficult to match, his other masterpiece Sunrise 1927, will be well worth seeing too.
Greetings.
@@marcoantonioperez4250 I understand Sunrise won many Oscars at the first Oscars ceremony. I am very keen to see it. :)
What an enjoyable video. Yes, Faust is a great film. It's interesting the way it seems to include not just elements of Gunod's opera but also a touch of Wagner's Tannhauser as well.
Interesting! :) It is a really amazing film.
Yes, an amazing movie was Faust! There was another horror film that came out the same year in 1926, that was similar called "The Magician". It starred German actor Paul Wegener (The Golem) as a dark alchemist, in the mold of a mad scientist like Victor Frankenstein. Strangely, it's an American film, but was filmed in Paris. Both of these films made me think of three other great films from the 1950's. "The Magician" in 1958 and "The Seventh Seal" in 1957, both brilliant Swedish films that starred Max Von Sydow. There is also another movie called "The Mad Magician" in 1954 (a year after House of Wax) which starred Vincent Price. All very good films, but only "The Seventh Seal" matches the intensity of "Faust".
Thanks for your great comments, as always, Bob! I would love to watch The Magician too. Paul Wegener is such an interesting character.
I think I tried watching The Seventh Seal back in high school but i was maybe too young to get into it. I should have another look. I really love Scott Walker's song of the same name which turns the film into a remarkable musical journey.
I've never seen "The Magician" (the 1926 movie, I've seen the Bergman). Haven't seen "The Mad Magician" either, I'll have to check those out!
Love all of your reviews! 👍 Much ❤️ from Oregon, US
Thanks so much, Graham! So glad you're enjoying these. My best greetings from Australia! :)
I finally saw this movie a few days ago. Didn't expect to see a reaction to it! What a wonderful movie, really. Just incredible in every aspect.
It's just so good, isn't it! As you say, every aspect is really incredible...I'm floored that this was made almost 100 years ago. It's mindblowing stuff. Murnau was a real master of his art.
Thanks for watching and commenting. :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Yeah! Absolutely floored on how good it is! And for that time?! Wow.
Yes, Murnau was amazing! Everyone always talk about Nosferatu but I never heard anyone talking about this one.
@@Vesohag Same here! I am keen to see his other films now too.
I didn’t catch the Gene Wilder resemblance until you said it, and can’t get it out of my mind now. Great film, great reaction!😊
Masterpiece
I agree Martin, it really is something quite extraordinary.
Murnua made two of the three greatest movies of the 20s IMO, 'Faust' and 'Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans.' I don't cry in movies, but Sunrise is one of the few that makes me sob.
The third is Charlie Chaplin's masterpiece 'The Gold Rush.' Definitely watch those if you haven't yet :)
First thing he was trying to save her (symbolised by him trying to reach out to her as Mephisto was dragging him away on his horses) he actually stopped him deceiving him that she would be all right and also he was barred from saving her all this time only rebelling against Mephisto in the very end, so no at least in this movie adaptation of the story he was actually trying to reach out to her all this time. However he did essentially abandon her in the 1807 original play this movie was adapted from, where his character was far more cruel and evil, going as far as evicting an old couple from their home in the final chapter just because he was jealous of their happiness, in fact in the original play even Mephisto himself was appalled by some of the Faust's activities.
Wow, that's interesting. I'm not familiar with the earlier versions of the story. I've read there is a silent film that portrays a female Faust character and I'm very keen to see that one too. :)
I've not seen this one but saw Terry's take on it and I really want to find a copy.
Hi Tengi----terrific reaction to Faust-----and to many of your film reviews. I don't know if you have reviewed another silent german classic--The Golem, but it would certainly fit in with your other film choices. One film I would really like to see you react to is a lesser known gem of a film---Les Yeux Sans Visage [Eyes Without A Face] It's a french film directed by Georges Franju---it is hauntingly beautiful and horrifying at the same time. The images of the lead actress [Delphine Seyrig]---who much of the film wears a completely blank, white mask are extremely moving. Her ability to convey so much. despite this is a great piece of acting---and the film is a heartbreaking decline into madness. Great climax!
Hi Alan, and thanks for your great comments. I think The Golem was one of the first videos I made as a practice one but I never uploaded it here (technical issues!). I did however write an article about it for British horror publication We Belong Dead :)
I am really keen to see Eyes Without a Face - I saw it once in high school and it made a huge impression but I haven't seen it since. I love Delphine Seyrig in Daughters Of Darkness. I hope to see this film in the near future. If I can't do a reaction video about it (copyright issues) I will do a more traditional review about it. :)
There is a fan made video of a song called “Faustian Echoes “ by a band called Agalloch. The song is about the movie and goes well with this movie. You should definitely check it out. It’s 20+ minutes long and amazing.
wow, that sounds very cool! :)
Hanna Ralph, the Duchess of Parma who Faust sees in a vision and then wooo's, was _FANTASTIC_ as Queen Brunhild in Fritz Lang's 'Siegfried' (1924) !
I am planning to take a look at some of Lang's silent movies soon. I'm a fan of his later work but don't know his silents at all.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies I bet you'd love Lang's 'Destiny' ('Der müde Tod', 1921)! 'Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler' is incredible, though an investment (4 hrs).
The ending is troubling, but in Goethe’s original, it isn’t Faust’s love for Gretchen that saves him, it’s her invincible love for him, his recognition of how deeply he has failed her, and, ultimately, Gretchen’s forgiveness of him when he seeks her forgiveness from her.
For another Murnau movie I suggest Phantom from 1922 (same year as Nosferatu).
thanks so much for the tip - I'm so keen to see more of Murnau's work. I even had a dream last night that I was reading a book he'd written :)
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Perfect you mentioned a dream because wikipedia describes Phantom has having a surreal, dreamlike quality.
@@annodomini1991 sounds wonderful!
The yesterday machine next 🤣
It's going on my list! 😁
@@TengyTalksTVMovies moon zero two it's a unwatchable movie the mst3k episode was the funniest in my opinion problem with moon zero two was the story although the effects were good,good animation good music and a wildly imaginative set design 😌
A lyrical fable version of Goethe's famous story, where Mephisto and an angel gamble with Faust's spirit, the entire film has an aura of delicate beauty. When Faust's town is shrouded with a pestilence, Faust summons Mephisto and agrees to a trial selling of his soul, in the hopes that he can save the townspeople. When Faust does indeed cure the town, Mephisto tempts him with the promise of youth and Gretchen, the most beautiful woman in Italy. Misty, often eerie, fiendish imagery, like satanic birds, hooded men, flying horsemen and Caligari-inspired exteriors fill the screen. When Faust signs his contract, the words burn themselves into the page as Mephisto dips his feather pen in Faust's vein. A wonderful touch near the beginning has Faust trying to escape Mephisto but having him appear wherever he goes, always a few steps ahead. Both Faust, as a young man, and Gretchen are lovely, and Jannings gives an excellent performance as the Dark Prince. A masterpiece of poetic atmosphere that ages Murnau's technical mastery wondrously.
watch the anime Madoka Magica that was inspired by faust by Goethe.
Hi Aglaya and thanks for your great comments. Yes, it does have a delicate and haunting beauty.
I have not seen Madoka Magica - that sounds interesting.
I also read about an Italian film that presents a female Faust story "Rapsodia Satanica" which I would love to see - but I can't find a copy with English subtitles...
interesting info
I honestly can't believe how advanced the German and European filmmakers were during this period. It's genuinely amazing stuff they were producing.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies😊
My all time favorite movie. I own the Blu Ray, which is Amazing !!! I highly recommend that you buy it asap !!!
I am really keen to get a good dvd copy of this. It's all my list of all time favourites now too. A mind-blowing achievement in film-making.
@@TengyTalksTVMovies the Blu Ray has some great specials included also.
@@MikeKelly9786 nice! I'll ask Santa to get it for me for xmas :)
Also, here is a link to a theatrical trailer involving a really awesome-looking film that Jannings starred in. It was called "The Patriot," done in 1928.
ua-cam.com/video/JrdCaqpbc70/v-deo.html
However, I was deeply saddened to learn that this film is now lost. Such a shame, really, because I just know by watching this trailer that it would have been so awesome to see. I just know that Jannings must have done an amazing job; even the way he looks in his Russian czar costume---it's so perfect for him! And all the faces and gestures he makes in the trailer---again, classic Jannings at one of his greatest.
That looks incredible! The sets are so epic! :O
@@TengyTalksTVMovies Epic is the word. :)
😮😮😮😮😮😮
Romans 11:29 says, “The gifts of God are unrepentant.” When God gives a gift, He does not take it away, even when it is misused. The punishment for misusing God’s gifts is to suffer the repercussions. According to Faust, the greatest gift of all is freewill. Faust’s acceptance of responsibility is enough to spare him from the eternal fire.
If u liked Fauset, Murnau’s Sunrise is significantly better.
I'm really eager to see Sunrise but haven't had a chance yet. I hear nothing but great things about it. :)