Favorite Things in the Movie

I think you've been reading my mail. Seriously, you pretty much summed it up for me as well. I loved the juxtaposition between worlds and how in the end we are right back where we started from.

"Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating."

- Faust in the circle when he first summons Mephistopheles, I love the shifting scenery, especially when he's suddenly transported to the high cliffs and then an arctic tundra.

- The angels being pinned down by the devils as Faust signs the contract in blood.

- The jester, and all the supporting puppets. I loved the scene where Faust recreates David and Galiath for the King, and when the court drown in the theatrical 'waves'.

Confessions of a Justified Sinner is a great book - I didn't make that connection when I watched Faust, but really dig that you mentioned it!

There's so much more to mention though, this film is just incredible.

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Right. Well, I have to - I have to go now, Duane, because I, I'm due back on the planet Earth.

There are so many beautifully surreal moments in the film, some of my favorites have already been listed. But one thing, as an overall, that appeals to me: The lines between reality and deception seem to be blurred. The two men hitting the streets, handing out the vague maps: They are clearly mortals and con-men. When they stand outside Faust's window with the creepy, all white, demonic eyes (BTW: How is that a selling point? Come to this vague location without any real instructions because guys who stand outside your window with no eyes tell you to?), it's revealed those were contacts they had inserted to make them appear otherworldly.

Aside from that, when Faust arrives, he more or less starts observing and later taking place in a play. Often involving marionettes, but aside from a few scenes, most of this seems to take place in a theater.

Although his interactions with Mefistofele are presented as reality, and he himself becomes one of the puppets eventually, they still take place in this strange theater. Demons are known for deception, so it's a great location as that's what the theater is as a generalization, a place of organized deception.

So essentially, with the whole thing being a theatrical production and the runners of the show being proven to be, at the very least, inauthentic: It could be a hoax to drive a man insane. Faust is really experiencing it regardless, but it's almost hard to tell how real the demons are. A long winded way of saying, one of the things I love most about this movie is how it blurs the lines of reality.