ENGLISH – FAUST

THE FIRST PART OF THE TRAGEDY

TRAILER

From Heaven, through the World, to Hell…
After Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust. The First Part of the Tragedy (abridged version)

Ten young amateur actors included Goethe’s Faust in their stage program in 2009.

With every performance, their enthusiasm for the work grew.

Thus, without any financial support and using only the simplest means, they dared to turn this masterpiece of the German language into a film.

DIE IDEA

The guiding idea behind this film adaptation was not to add yet another filmed version of the greatest German stage play, but to present the drama in a completely fresh way — both cinematically and through acting — impressive on both levels.

In fact, up to now, there has been no widely accessible feature film version of this monumental play. There are, to be sure, a few filmed stage productions — the most well-known and indeed legendary being the 1960 version featuring Gustav Gründgens as Mephisto — yet even that one, in terms of staging and film technique, no longer manages to captivate a broad audience, especially younger viewers.

Young actors have now, in a refreshingly open and unpretentious way — free from forced intellectual interpretations — dared to create a version in which the full force of the drama is expressed with striking immediacy.

"That I may perceive whatever holds The world together in its inmost folds."

J. W. v. Goethe

FAUST – The First Part of the Tragedy

CREDITS

Production: Mooo Pictures & RSC
Director: P.A. Steiner
Producers: Reinhard J. Steiner, Martina Herzog, Martin Fankhauser
Editor: Reinhard J. Steiner
Line Producer: Martina Herzog
D.O.P.: Reinhard J. Steiner & Stefan Schäfer
Screenplay written by P.A. Steiner & Simone Marti
Based on the tragedy by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Costume Designer: Natalie Gremmen
Sound: Josef Jeindl
Visual Effects: Josef Hardy

Starring: Christian Elser, Michael Schlembach, Martina Herzog, Clemens Boll, Ursula Baumgartner, Matthias Schäppi, Tobias Deger, Benedict Jörger, Friedrich Reusch, Elisabeth Müller

FAUST on IMDb

FAUST – following Goethe

IMPLEMENTATION

The film keeps Goethe’s text unchanged, but the plot has been condensed to focus on the essential storyline. On one hand, this creates a tighter and more cinematic flow; on the other, it makes it possible to stay within the usual feature film length and not exceed the magical two-hour mark.

With this compelling staging in such fascinating locations as a French Loire Valley château, a monumental German masterpiece can captivate everyone. A kaleidoscope of human longings and abysses, an emotional fireworks display of love, passion, comedy, and tragedy is brought to the screen by young, captivating actors.

A remarkable discovery for German-language literary film adaptations!

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

The goal was an authentic realization of the production that would also highlight the unique sets of the locations. For this reason, the choice fell on the light-sensitive CANON EOS 5D II cameras, preferably with prime lenses. Especially the interior shots were filmed with very little accent lighting, and in some cases, entirely without artificial light. Additionally, the cameras’ full-frame sensors, used intensively in some scenes, created the desired depth-of-field effect, precisely achieving the look the director envisioned for the production. As camera support systems, a Cam Cat was employed, which works excellently with DSLR cameras and eliminated the need for a dolly.

Since Goethe’s Faust lives through its actors and the text takes center stage, the camera movements were designed to enhance and complement the power of the words and performances. The director preferred a highly dynamic camera style. Therefore, the MK-V AR, combined with a hands-free transporter (Segway), was ideally suited. Entire sequences could be filmed in a single take as plan-sequences. The MK-V AR allowed the camera to move effortlessly over heads, through windows, or outside railings, maintaining the dynamic flow of the takes. Aside from the operator’s stamina, the MK-V AR also provided a very efficient filming method.

The result is stunning imagery and sensitive, authentic footage, achieving an impressive technical realization of the Faustadaptation.