F.W. MURNAU'S FAUST (100TH ANNIVERSARY) W/ LIVE MUSICAL SCORE

OCTOBER 27

Spooky Season Screenings

In this classic of silent cinema, the demon Mephisto makes a bet with an archangel that a good man's soul can be corrupted... Make a deal with the JPT devil you know (and love) celebrating the centennial anniversary of one of cinema's crowning visual marvels: 1926's FAUST. Restored and screened at our historic cinema as it was a century past: with live musical score performed in real time by Jeff Rapsis on synth-piano.

Mobilizing the full resources of the Ufa Studios, legendary filmmaker F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu, Sunrise) orchestrated a colossal adaptation of Goethe's FAUST that ranks alongside Fritz Lang's Metropolis as the greatest achievements of the German silent cinema. A spellbinding landmark of German Expressionist cinema, Murnau's Faust weaves a tapestry of folklore, allegorical fantasy, and apocalyptic imagery... Making Faust one of cinema's first haunting horror films- perfect before All Hallow's Eve! Its legacy lives on through pioneering special effects like double exposure, breathtaking lighting techniques, and iconic imagery that directly inspired Disney’s Fantasia and modern filmmakers like Robert Eggers.

Gösta Ekman stars as the titular alchemist who, struggling with his faith amidst a devastating plague, is offered the power to cure and the gift of youth... in exchange for his soul. As the diabolical Mephisto, Emil Jannings (The Last Laugh) delivers a performance of operatic intensity, by turns charming, comical and horrifying.

Jeff Rapsis is an accomplished and much celebrated musical accompanist for movies, as well as an expert on the era of Silent films. Jeff will introduce the film and host an audience Q&A afterward.