Faust

Rating:
Summary: Surreal Adaptation
Review: The classic Faust comes to life in a mixture of live action and stop animation from the Brothers Quay.

Anyone who's a fan of the Brothers Quay will definitely appreciate this wonderful adaptation of Faust. I recommend reading the novel first, then watching this film for a better understanding of the storyline. In this surreal film version the story might be difficult to understand, but it's true to the original in every way.

I highly recommend this film. It will haunt you and intrigue you at the same time. It's the classic tale with some memorable images that are surely difficult to forget.

Rating:
Summary: Faust - as dark as it can get
Review: The thing about Jan Svankmajer is that he makes you rethink how you view reality. When dealing with the supernatural, this plays perfectly.

I need not go into the details of the story of Faust (this takes from 2 of the legends of Faust). What I will say is that it does what a great thriller film should do... scare without disgusting. The problem with modern horror is the intent on lots of blood and gore. That's not to say that is absent here, but it's used in such a surreal way that goes beyond the concept of hollywood. The use of Puppets (marionettes are used a lot) makes this unique. In fact, the puppets look so worn down, it adds to the atmosphere that something evil is lurking here.

There are many elements that don't make sense while watching this. However, when the end arrives, you will understand everything that happened. No loose ends are left for the imagination, but at the same time, everything is left to it as well. Brilliant.

This is, to an extent, an "Arts" film for the US, especially since it's foreign. Don't let this disuade you from checking it out, and don't give up on it early because it's wierd. Sit it out, and you should be pleasantly suprised in the end.

Rating:
Summary: Uniquely Czech twist on the classic tale
Review: This is a very good retelling of the FAUST legend, borrowing evenly from Goethe & Marlowe's versions...but it is also a unique entity in itself, in that it mixes in the Surreal--yes, but not just any surrealism but a surrealism with a distinctly CZECH flavor...This film certainly pays indirect homage to Franz Kafka, and has a wry, dark, very Czech sense of humor to it all throughout. This film made me laugh out loud with wicked laughter more than once. If you've ever read/liked Hasek, Hrabal, Kundera, Monikova, et. al. you will love this movie.

I must state in conclusion that my review is biased; I'm positively in love with most all of Svankmajer's works, and with Czech writers/literature/cinema in general. But his version of FAUST is by far my favorite. (That someone could give this film only 1 star blows my mind; That's verging on slander, IMHO)

Rating:
Summary: Jan Svankmajer's Faust
Review: This movie is absolutely stunning, I think it was wonderful. Some of my less patient, and less creative friends did not enjoy this movie because of a lack of action, but it is my belief that only a petty mind requires such things for enjoyment. I loved it for the astounding visuals and the tense mood surrounding the film combined with the classic occult story of Faust. This movie is THE cult classic as far as I'm concerned.

Rating:
Summary: trip for two,please!
Review: this movie is perfect for a big dube on a cold -20 winter night!strangely enough,I thought the "depth and pace"of this film were kind of like the big lebowski or the last tv episode of twin peaks!and as the green burns down,you'll find that you may have opened a virtual treasure chest of trippiness for all your buddies to behold!buy this movie just for the trippy factor alone.

Rating:
Summary: Unique interpretation of a classic plot.
Review: This version of Faust is the fusion of real-time film, and stop-motion anime. This movie is primarily surreal, but its underlining plot remains true to the story of Dr. Faustus, who sells his soul to the devil in return for great power in the material world

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Avante Garde portrayal of Chris Marlowe's Faust
Review: This was simply the most visually and conceptually mesmerizing film I've seen in many years. It seamlessly melds the classic "Faust" story (a man selling his soul to the devil for a lifetime of earthly powers but who desperately regrets it at the end of his days) with modern-day capitalist society seen from the arresting perspective of Prague, The Czech Republic---where communism fell only recently, in 1989, and where people are still adjusting to the monumental cultural shift therein.

Even though the film is mostly silent, it's hard to take your eyes off the screen. Svankmejer is almost never predictable, and the surrealism and magic realism he infuses the film with keeps you constantly guessing what's coming next, and usually finding yourself unable to do so correctly. Much of it reminds me of "Alice in Wonderland"---you are transported into a parallel universe where all sorts of bizarre inexplicable things keep happening, it all makes no sense yet it does make sense. Of course, Svankmejer's famoust clay-mation plays a HUGE part in creating this surreal otherworld (he did the clay-mation for a couple of Peter Gabriel's videos, most famously "Sledgehamer"). After a while you simply give up and just sit back and just EXPERIENCE the film without trying to put it into any sort of predictable logical structure---which is exactly how you later start to see one emerging.

Truly, cinematic artistry of the highest order.

Rating:
Summary: pay attention...it's worth it!
Review: This was simply the most visually and conceptually mesmerizing film I've seen in many years. It seamlessly melds the classic "Faust" story (a man selling his soul to the devil for a lifetime of earthly powers but who desperately regrets it at the end of his days) with modern-day capitalist society seen from the arresting perspective of Prague, The Czech Republic---where communism fell only recently, in 1989, and where people are still adjusting to the monumental cultural shift therein.

Even though the film is mostly silent, it's hard to take your eyes off the screen. Svankmejer is almost never predictable, and the surrealism and magic realism he infuses the film with keeps you constantly guessing what's coming next, and usually finding yourself unable to do so correctly. Much of it reminds me of "Alice in Wonderland"---you are transported into a parallel universe where all sorts of bizarre inexplicable things keep happening, it all makes no sense yet it does make sense. Of course, Svankmejer's famoust clay-mation plays a HUGE part in creating this surreal otherworld (he did the clay-mation for a couple of Peter Gabriel's videos, most famously "Sledgehamer"). After a while you simply give up and just sit back and just EXPERIENCE the film without trying to put it into any sort of predictable logical structure---which is exactly how you later start to see one emerging.

Truly, cinematic artistry of the highest order.

Rating:
Summary: pay attention...it's worth it!
Review: This was simply the most visually and conceptually mesmerizing film I've seen in many years. It seamlessly melds the classic "Faust" story (a man selling his soul to the devil for a lifetime of earthly powers but who desperately regrets it at the end of his days) with modern-day capitalist society seen from the arresting perspective of Prague, The Czech Republic---where communism fell only recently, in 1989, and where people are still adjusting to the monumental cultural shift therein.

Even though the film is mostly silent, it's hard to take your eyes off the screen. Svankmejer is almost never predictable, and the surrealism and magic realism he infuses the film with keeps you constantly guessing what's coming next, and usually finding yourself unable to do so correctly. Much of it reminds me of "Alice in Wonderland"---you are transported into a parallel universe where all sorts of bizarre inexplicable things keep happening, it all makes no sense yet it does make sense. Of course, Svankmejer's famoust clay-mation plays a HUGE part in creating this surreal otherworld (he did the clay-mation for a couple of Peter Gabriel's videos, most famously "Sledgehamer"). After a while you simply give up and just sit back and just EXPERIENCE the film without trying to put it into any sort of predictable logical structure---which is exactly how you later start to see one emerging.

Truly, cinematic artistry of the highest order.

Rating:
Summary: A fantasy to dream with again and again.
Review: Wonderful blend of real-time and stop-motion storytelling by a master of the surreal. An apparently ordinary everyman is led by curiousity into a dilapidated building which turns out to be a strange cross of theatre, a puppeteer's workshop, and an alchemical laboratory. Suddenly, he finds himself becoming the legendary character Dr. Faust, selling his soul to the devil to gain magical powers.
Jan Svankmajer is the real sorcerer here and blends stage sets with real settings, seven foot puppets with live actors, and makes magic of it all.
The film has been dubbed for English audiences, but I have never seen a less obtrusive film dub. The voice performances are excellent and actually add to the surreal quality of the film.
Just one caution: This is not a "family" film. There is some adult material, so don't confuse this with Bass and Rankin style claymation.