The classic German tale of Faust has been told on film and television countless times. Elements of the story appear in everything from The Devil and Daniel Webster to Revenge of the Sith. Boiled down to its core, Faust is about a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for mortal pleasures. The Faust legend has been adapted most famously for the cinema by F.W. Murnau, Jan Svankmajer, and now, Russian filmmaker, Alexander Sokurov. Each work has taken its own unique liberties on the source material, and now that Sokurov’s version is available on Blu-Ray, you have the perfect opportunity to study its meandering, poetic, and haunting twist on the beloved story.
This film is not meant for a casual viewing experience. It is truly odd, presented in a format which appears to be the perspective of looking through an old 35mm eyepiece, and does not shy away from showing you every little thing it means to. I find it hard to imagine a viewer shoveling fist-fulls of popcorn on a Saturday night watching a movie which practically opens on the shot of a corpse’s penis. The camera then tracks to catch the heart being harvested from the chest cavity. That shot, alone, practically tells you everything you need to know about the film… in so many ways. So stick around, because it gets even better.
Faust is a struggling professor, studying the human body and searching for the soul/meaning of life/love — this time — in early 19th century Germany. He claims to be starving, though he doesn’t look it, and has decided to take his own life when his village’s moneylender (or so he is called) suddenly takes an interest in him. From there, the two wander through the streets mulling over personal philosophies, and closely following a young woman who has caught Faust’s eye. It’s only a matter of time until he chooses to make a contract with the moneylender for the chance to indulge in one night alone with her.
Does any of that sound like your kind of thing? If you answered negatively, you might be surprised when you see the film. This ain’t your grandpa’s aimless “blah blah blah”, this sucker really moves like it knows where it is headed the whole time (and, of course, we all know where it is, ultimately, headed the whole time). It’s a trip. It may not be the most energetic, or the most visually imaginative adaptation of this story, but it is a fresh take, and it will leave you as happily lost as its doomed title character. Repeat viewing may be required.
Good thing, too, because Kino Lorber’s Blu-Ray release is tragically bereft of special features — as in… none. Unless you are still amazed by the ability to jump to any scene in the film with the press of a button, this disc will hold nothing special for you. The only reason to own the movie on home video is the fact it is worth seeing again and again. I would have liked to learn more about the production from the filmmakers, themselves, but not even so much as a booklet with a write-up is found in the package. Still, I have to recommend checking it out.
Previously on Cinapse:
FAUST: Sokurov’s Strange, Seductive Deal with the Devil by Wilson Smith
Two Cents: PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE by Liam O’Donnell & Friends
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE: Still Crazy (And Crazy Relevant) Forty Years Later by Jacob Knight
