Alexander Sokurov’s brooding, hallucinatory, freehanded adaptation of Goethe’s great allegorical drama surpasses simple comprehension, continuing to grow in your mind — and perhaps to blow it — long after it’s over.
–A.O. Scott, The NY Times
Russian filmmaker Aleksandr Sokurov’s adaptation of Goethe’s allegorical drama conjures up a unique and phantasmagoric vision of the Faustian legend. Faust is a man in search of the ideals of the Enlightenment but he becomes obsessed with the lovely Magarethe and eventually sells his soul to the Devil so that he may possess her. Comic, cosmic, painterly and stunningly beautiful scenes abound as the Devil takes Faust on a strange, unforgettable journey. Winner: Golden Lion (Best Picture) Venice Film Festival. (2013; 140 min)