Faust

This film is a cinematic masterpiece that, despite being based only on the first part of Goethe's _Faust_ and taking many creative liberties, manages to perfectly capture and condense the essence of the book. Although the ending is not as open to interpretation and is a personal interpretation of the director applied to a film that reduces and condenses the original message, this work is rightly deserving of its status as a masterpiece. It is worth noting that this film is Murnau's most complex, with the most special effects and the most ambitious to date.

However, beyond its artistic merits, _Faust_ offers us an unforgettable depiction of the human condition. The film symbolizes the myth of the modern man: one who, knowing contemporary science, can no longer easily cling to ideas of transcendence to give meaning to his life. In other words, Murnau represents a man with a monumental ego, unable to be content with being a mere speck of dust in the universe, a Faust who runs endlessly in search of new desires without ever satisfying his ambition. [spoiler]Nonetheless, this insatiable quest for new pleasures by Faust leads to the destruction of Gretchen, showing that his relentless desire for more has had devastating consequences not only for himself but also for those around him. And it is at that moment, when Faust sees Gretchen at the stake, that he realizes that neither the older, ascetic Faust nor the young, hedonistic Faust had been correct, as their ultimate desires were two sides of the same coin. However, love, that feeling that takes us out of ourselves and connects us with society, is the true satisfaction and supreme pleasure of modern man, which, unlike the material pleasure professed by Mephisto, does not need to be renewed with periodic new consumptions. Realizing this and understanding the value of love, Faust receives divine grace and Mephisto loses the bet, thus saving his soul.[/spoiler]

The original title of the film is Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage.