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Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1993.5.G3 E94 2003
Helmut Schanze’s essay on Murnau’s Faust touches on the idea of deconstruction within the film. Besides being a pioneering work of special effects within cinema, Faust detaches itself from the other popular expressionist films of the time by utilizing new, realistic styles rather than the typical dream-like approaches. While Faust is a doppelganger film, following along with the supernatural theme of the time, it is also a realist love story between Faust and Gretchen. Murnau is able to de-form the Faust myth of literature by deconstructing its simple elements, loosely recombining them, and then revealing these reordered elements on film. The film is mainly based on the first part of the Faust legend; however there is no specific literature from which Murnau explicitly worked. Murnau and his writer, Hans Kyser, were able to deconstruct the various legends, and piece together a cohesive plot in order to create their own Faust legend. Through Murnau’s visual rendition of the Faust legend, the myth became the struggle between light and darkness more so than good and evil. Murnau was able to control every aspect of filming, allowing him to create a new dynamic of light and shadow within the myth. Not only was it important to visually represent this dymanic, but several musical scores were written for the film, so that even the smallest cinemas could musically accompany the film. All aspects of art, both visual and aural, were important to Murnau in creating the overall atmosphere of the film.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1993.5.G3 O88 1986
Chapter 3 of Ott’s book gives readers an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the making of Murnau’s Faust. The narrative of the film was based upon old Faust legends and literature such as Goethe’s Faust, however the first part concerning the relationship between Faust and Gretchen was the main focus of the film. UFA, wanting to have a hand in the international markets, sought to fill the cast with international actors and actresses. Germany, Sweden, and France were all represented within the film.
Murnau had a specific style in mind when creating Faust, and intentionally simplified the interior shots in order to allow the actors to become the main focus of the scene. On the same note, sets were constructed in a way to direct the flow of the actors, as in the mob scene within the town. The streets were built in a way to create the most disorder when the townspeople disbursed in a panic, heightening the confusion and anxiety.
Ott also described how Murnau produced the special effects within the various scenes of the film. One of the effects known as Stimmung, or atmosphere, was used to create the smoke effect emitting from the demon’s cloak. Flammable film stock was lit, and the smoke was directed on-screen, creating an interesting effect, but putting the cast and crew in danger.
Ott’s behind-the-scenes commentary on Faust further shows how much influence Murnau had on every aspect of film production, and how each scene would appear on the final print.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.H6 M323 2004
The first selection of Marriot’s book focuses on the German silent era, specifically on Murnau’s film Nosferatu. Marriot observed how the German film industry, unlike any other nation’s film industry, seemed to have taken off on supernatural films such as Nosferatu. The focus on supernatural films following the First World War may have been due to the frustration experienced in the ensuing years after the end of the war, while having to care for the increased number of physically and psychologically wounded war victims. Germany’s deep heritage of demonic folklore and black Romanticism may have also helped spark the rise of the expressionist movement. Through expressionism, filmmakers were able to stylistically externalize their inner emotional struggle. While Murnau was considered an expressionist director, he employed many characteristics that broke away from the traditional expressionist style. Murnau would often focus on off-screen space rather than blending it into the action, allowing audiences to broaden the scope of the presented narrative. Faust, for example, was shot entirely within a studio giving Murnau the ability to more efficiently manipulate the scene to his liking. Later in the book, Marriott focuses on the modern Hollywood film Rosemary’s Baby. Murnau’s work on Faust is noted as an influential pre-curser, as its theme of the devil’s pact has obviously not lost interest within the horror film genre.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995 .H79
Though German Expressionism seems to be an easily identifiable film genre, Huaco mentions in the first chapter of his book that film historians and film-makers often dispute what films are and are not considered true expressionist films. One director, Joseph von Sternberg, even claimed that the only true expressionist films were Caligari and Waxworks. Von Sternberg, who also denies that his own film The Blue Angel is not expressionistic, actually juxtaposes naturalistic and expressionistic characteristics throughout this film. The same can be said about Murnau, and his film Faust. Though there are expressionistic devices such as histrionic acting and a few distorted angles, Murnau’s use of lighting is far more naturalistic, separating the film from the typical expressionist style. Perhaps Faust can be categorized under historians Maurice Bardéche and Robert Brasillach’s term “expressionist realism.” Obviously there is a discrepancy of what is considered true expressionist film, though there were only a relatively small number of “expressionist” films produced in the years 1920-1931. When comparing Caligari to Faust, it is apparent that Murnau does not utilize the same styles as Wiene, focusing on the subtle use of light rather than creating elaborately angled and distorted sets and painted backdrops. Though some of these devices are used occasionally throughout Faust, they are certainly not as apparent.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1993.5.G3 F35 1995
Fehrenbach looks at the isolation of Germany and the Weimar Cinema after World War I in the 2nd chapter of her book. Separation from the West and any Hollywood influence created a period of increased production of German film and the development of a self-sufficient German film industry. This influx of production was also sparked by inflation, as the Reichsmark funded films and the construction of elaborate studios and costumes. As the German film industry flourished, support from Hollywood was unnecessary, and was actually shut out of Germany for a short while. Soon, a quota of American films was allowed, beginning at only 15% of the total number of German films produced, and later increasing to a 1:1 ratio. However, the German film industry had already developed their own style, much different from the successful Hollywood productions. The German expressionist movement had a highly stylized characteristic to which American audiences were not inclined. However, powerful figures in the American film business such as Adolf Zukor kept many German films off of the American market by buying them. Ironically, many of the German filmmakers, such as Murnau, whom American audiences were not very accepting of, were immediately hired into the Hollywood studios, and eventually created very popular American films.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.H6 C5
The rebellious nature of artists in the post-war Weimer Republic is discussed in the 2nd chapter of Clarens’ book. Artists in post-war Germany fought against the established ideals of 19th century art, and answered with the expressionist movement. Man, and his own vision, became the central power behind the movement, neglecting the once influential power of nature within art. It was now man’s individual vision that shaped the landscape or structure of the art. As expressionist art was based solely on man’s individual interpretation, every aspect of the fantasy films produced in Germany at this time had to be completely controlled. This was easy to do within the large studios UFA had constructed during inflation. Without studios, the expressionist feeling would be lost within the contemporary look of real streets and buildings. Every set had to be constructed to shape what was in the artist’s mind. Murnau, in fact, shot every scene within Faust inside a studio, so that he could more accurately control the production of the film. Faust was actually Murnau’s last German film. He did not necessarily base the film off of the well-known Goethe novel or the play by Marlowe, but rather focused on older Faustian legends. Though Faust is among the ranks of famous German silent horror films, Murnau leaves out the more gruesome details of the Faustian legend, and portrays Mephisto more as a comedic role rather than a looming spirit. Though it lacks certain, more violent, aspects of horror film, Clarnes believes Faust is one of the best-produced films of the silent era.
Call#: Van Pelt Library Rosengarten Reserve PN1993.5.G3 E513 1969b
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.H6 B8 1970
The 3rd chapter of Butler’s book discusses “the macabre in the silent cinema”. Butler believes that, although horror films as we know them today find their roots in the silent horrors of the early 20th century, their use of intertitles and “arbitrary” musical accompaniments reduce the suspense of the plot and take away from the flow of the narrative. Though this can be considered an objective observation, it is evident that thickening plots within Faust are repeatedly stopped in order for intertitles to appear, often stopping the plot for a length of time depending upon the amount of text within the intertitle. Also, the musical accompaniment performed by the Olympia Chamber Orchestra does not seem to properly fit the film. Oftentimes, the music seemed out of place, providing the film a completely different tone than was previously established. Even with these impediments, Germany still established the first great horror school; producing films that in-turn inspired some of the most famous American Horror films ever made. The typical plots of these early German expressionist films centered on a monster losing control and eventually being stopped in the end. Though Faust was a protagonist in Murnau’s film, he himself had lost control of his life, and was eventually stopped in the end by the execution of his lover and the intercession of the arch-angel. Murnau’s Faust can certainly fall into the category of the horror film within German expressionism.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.S4 B3413 1976
The 3rd chapter of Barsacq’s book looks at the rise of German expressionism in post-war Germany. Expressionism was an artistic application in film, in which sets, costumes, and even acting styles were based upon the interpretation of the mind. Horizontal and vertical lines were rarely used when designing sets, rather objects and buildings were awkwardly angled to enhance the feeling of anxiety they were supposed to elicit. Not only was set construction an important aspect of expressionist film, but the detailed use of lighting within each scene often further defined and distorted the sets as well as the actors. Barsacq mainly focuses on the techniques used in early German expressionism, as they were the most apparent in this movement. Though the author mentions how Murnau used many of the expressionist conventions, it is also noted that Murnau created a new school of expressionism. Extreme distortions in interior sets were replaced with more bare and realistic designs. For instance, rather than overly distorting the interior of Gretchen’s house, the movement and camera angles taken of the actors creates the characteristic images of typical expressionist filmmaking.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1993.5.G3 B314 1982