This is a movie released in 1926. This is a special era in the history of movies, and it is also a period in which many masters are born. Such as Méliès, Griffith, Chaplin, Eisenstein, Rene Claire, Murnau, etc. It was the period of transition from silent films to sound films, and the last dying struggle of silent films. For the modern art of film, although its history is relatively short, its status is very important in the modern art discipline.
The works of the silent film era are highly performative, with vivid acting skills, rigorous black-and-white pictures, tension, overall simplicity and fullness, and more artistic. It is precisely because the films of this period have accumulated and perfected a set of mature image montage art in the creation and practice, so that the future sound films can be better developed.
The film begins with a dialogue between the devil and the angel, where the angel represents God.
Devil: This world is mine.
Angel: The world cannot be yours, people belong to God.
Devil: I bet I'll cast Faust's soul from God.
Angel: If you can do it, the world is yours.
In the film, Faust is a symbolic artistic image, he represents the fate and thought of the entire human race. When human beings were swept across the field by the plague corpses brought by the devil, the fear around them devastated Faust's heart all the time. At first Faust was thirsty for knowledge, but he burned all his books, and the burning of books showed the limitations of knowledge. He also began to give up his belief in God. When human beings face disaster, faith always seems pale and powerless. Angel once said: "All things in heaven and earth are wonderful, but the wonderful thing is that people have the freedom to choose good and evil". But often good and evil are created between people's thoughts. A single thought can change everything, make you or destroy you. Faust began to summon the devil. Humans are always trying to let go of this, to find that, to find a dependency no matter what. In fact, God and the devil have always been there, it's just your choice. The devil began to seduce and say to Faust: "As long as you sign the contract, I can let you save the plague, but you must give me the soul." Faust agreed, and he would use the devil's Save people in name. Only signed a one-day contract initially. Faust had just started saving some people, and when he was saving the girl with the cross on her body, he couldn't get close. Soon he was seen through by the people around him, and everyone shouted: He is in the company of the devil. They threw stones at Faust, and Faust ran home in pain and helpless, and was about to take medicine to commit suicide, when the devil appeared, and the devil said that you can't die, and the day's deadline has not yet come. Later, the devil began to seduce Faust, turning him with gray hair into a handsome young man. The devil took Faust to find the most beautiful woman in the world, and used magic to make Faust and the woman... Just as he was about to have fun, the day's deadline came. Faust couldn't resist the woman in front of him, and finally signed a permanent contract with the devil.
The rules of the contract are: "The devil is willing to be Faust's servant, and the devil will fulfill all Faust's demands. If one day Faust thinks he has been fulfilled, then his soul will belong to the devil". The devil is constantly using intrigue and tricks to satisfy Faust. Of course, neither humans nor demons realize that desires are insatiable. The entire film has been reflecting the pain and confusion of human beings about birth, aging, sickness and death, because human stupidity, greed, and persistence have led to the deepest fear of "death". Death is loneliness, people fear loneliness.
After Faust's experience, he returned to his hometown and met Clayton, a girl who fell in love at first sight. The devil brought them together, but it didn't last long. The devil secretly used magic to kill Clayton's mother and brother, inflicting the crime on Faust, forcing Faust to escape and separate from Clayton. At this time, the girl Clayton lost her mother, brother, and Faust, and at the same time she also suffered from the scolding and humiliation of the people around her. Her family was ruined with nowhere to go, and she was pregnant with Faust's child. The child was born in the winter in the wilderness, and the child froze to death shortly after birth. After being discovered by the people around, rumors spread, and they convicted her of killing her own child and wanted to burn Clayton to death in public. It seems that the influence of religion under feudal society in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century was so absurd. At the stake, Clayton recalled the good times with Faust and kept shouting Faust's name. Faust felt in the distance that Clayton was in a bad situation, and ordered the devil to send him to see Clayton immediately. When he arrived at the place of execution, Faust cried out in grief: I really hope that I There is no youth, what a tragedy, curse, curse the illusion of such youth". The devil uses magic to turn Faust back into his old self. In the end, Faust and Clayton kissed and were burned to death. Whole story The fusion of realism and romanticism has shaped the image of Faust into a higher philosophical meaning. At the end of the film, the devil came to the angel proudly.
Angel: There is no place for you here.
Devil: I won.
Angel: A word that breaks the contract.
Devil: What word?
Angel: A word with sorrow and sorrow, a word that resolves all human sins, a word that returns in the whole world, an eternal word.
Angel: You know What is it?
Devil: What?
Angel: Love
At this moment , the word "love" appears on the screen. The devil is sent to hell.
God only gave human beings one word of love, and the devil has given human beings many, many. The only difference between the devil and God is that God has love and the devil does not understand love. Devils only make deals with humans. In fact, the devil is the embodiment of human desire. When human beings truly have love, they will not be afraid of fear, disease, aging, and death.
Love is never possession, when you possess a person, you have reduced it to a thing, and only things can be possessed. Love is freedom, love is selfless giving without asking for anything in return, because love is not a transaction. Love is respect, love has no depth or depth, love is not pain, sorrow, complaining, love is happiness, as long as you love enough. Love will turn corruption into magic, and war into jade and silk. Love is invincible. Love has only a beginning and no end. Love is religion, love is God, love is all that is good, love is the eternal truth.
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