Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Moderate
- grotesque
- oppressive
- dreamy
- arthouse film night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found Sokurov's ambitious, visually mesmerizing reinterpretation of the Faust legend more impressive and inventive than faithful, though often bewildering and difficult to penetrate.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sokurov reshapes the Faust legend with an eccentric, highly personal treatment that departs from established Goethe and Marlowe versions.
The film's gray tonalities and visual debt to Flemish and Dutch witchcraft paintings dominate its period atmosphere.
Faust's pursuit of knowledge and his attraction to Margarete drive the conflict between reason, materialism, and human longing.
The Mefistofeles figure appears as a physically uncanny moneylender whose corporeal strangeness intensifies the pact's moral and existential menace.
Films like Faust, and why
The Green Knight
philosophical fantasy, literary source material, metaphysical temptation, and visually audacious direction
The Devil's Backbone
dark romantic fantasy, moral allegory, stylized period atmosphere, and mythic confrontation with supernatural forces
The Trial
ambitious reinterpretation of canonical literature, existential themes, and formally experimental visual storytelling
The Devil and Daniel Webster
German literary tradition, demonic bargain, romantic desire, and expressionistic fantasy imagery
Movie Details
- Director
- Aleksandr Sokurov
- Release Date
- 2011-10-26
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (213)
Cast
- Johannes Zeiler
- Anton Adasinsky
- Isolda Dychauk-Ott
- Georg Friedrich
- Hanna Schygulla
- Florian Brückner
- Antje Lewald
- Maxim Mehmet
- Oliver Bootz
- Andreas Schmidt
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Faust about?
- A restless German doctor enters a grotesque pact with a demonic moneylender, discovering that transcendent knowledge cannot quiet human desire.
- What is Faust like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Faust as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Faust violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Faust as moderate.
- What did critics think of Faust?
- Critics broadly found Sokurov's ambitious, visually mesmerizing reinterpretation of the Faust legend more impressive and inventive than faithful, though often bewildering and difficult to penetrate.
- Which films are like Faust?
- Films with a similar feel include The Green Knight, The Devil's Backbone, The Trial, and The Devil and Daniel Webster.
- How long is Faust?
- Faust runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch Faust?
- In United States, Faust is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home.
