Faust

The story of Faust had already inspired a wealth of haunting artworks by the time F.W. Murnau turned his hand to an adaptation of the enduring German folktale. These images, particularly Rembrandt's etching of its titular anti-hero, provided the director with an atmospheric blueprint upon which he would construct the most expressionistic work of his career. Released in 1926, the movie is a masterpiece of design and composition, sustaining a level of apocalyptic intensity that remains unrivalled to this day.  

With Emil Jannings embodying evil as only a nascent Nazi supporter could, and Gösta Ekman suitably tormented as the alchemist seduced into making a pact with the devil, this silent fantasy is as much a triumph of concise storytelling as it is of technical innovation. Presenting viewers with a beautifully restored print, this comprehensive release also includes excerpts from the movie's inferior international cut, the sloppiness of which goes some way to explaining Faust’s delayed recognition as an all-time classic.