Faust Restored 2-Disc Deluxe Edition 2009 Horror Movie Review

F.W. MURNAU S MASTERPIECE OF GERMAN SILENT CINEMA

Mobilizing the full resources of the Ufa Studios, F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu, Sunrise) orchestrated a colossal adaptation of Goethe s FAUST that ranks alongside Fritz Lang s Metropolis as the greatest achievement of the German silent cinema. Gösta Ekman stars as the titular alchemist who, struggling with his faith amidst a devastating plague, is offered the power to cure and the gift of youth… in exchange for his soul. As the diabolical Mephisto, Emil Jannings (The Last Laugh) delivers a performance of operatic scale and intensity, by turns charming, comical, and horrific. This special Kino edition contains the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation s meticulous restoration of the original German version of the film (with unique hand-painted intertitles), as well as a lengthier alternate cut prepared by the Ufa Studios in 1930.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Two-DVD edition featuring the restored German version (with optional English subtitles) and the previous U.S. release version
- (The Language of Shadows: Faust) a 53-minute documentary on the making of Murnau s film
- New musical score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra in 5.1 Stereo Surround or 2.0 Stereo
- The lost screen test footage of Ernst Lubitsch s abandoned 1923 production Marguerite and Faust.
- Image Gallery
- Essay by film historian Jan Christopher Horak