Product Description

Of the many films they made together nowhere is the seductive power of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor better showcased than in this brilliant adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's classic play DOCTOR FAUSTUS. First dramatized in the 16th century the legend of DOCTOR FAUSTUS is the immortal tale of a German conjurer who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for a life of adventure and excitement. It has proved to be one of the richest legends of our time inspiring countless plays and motion pictures. In fact Burton Taylor and Peter Ustinov filmed a modern adaptation just a few years after DOCTOR FAUSTUS called Hammersmith is Out. In this classic version Burton stars as the aging scholar who makes a deal with the devil for youth knowledge and a dazzling mistress. But when Faustus begins to regret his decision the devil's assistant Mephistopheles sends Taylor as the spellbinding seductress who seals Faustus' fate. This lasting achievement is distinguished by its visual beauty and the great performances of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.System Requirements:Run Time: 92 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 043396008618 Manufacturer No: 00861

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44022 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2004-03-02
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Korean
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 92 minutes

Amazon.com
An adaptation of the Christopher Marlowe masterpiece, Doctor Faustus allows Richard Burton (who also co-directed) to sink his teeth into one of the great theater roles, with loyal wife Elizabeth Taylor along for the ride. Now, there were a few good movies and many follies born of the epic marriage of Burton and Taylor; Faustus is one of their most curious progeny. Alas, Burton's performance is hardly scaled back from a big, bellowing stage turn, while elsewhere the film fails to work up the most rudimentary cinematic life. And Liz? She keeps appearing, wordlessly, as a sexed-up dream temptation for poor Faustus, and finally as Helen of Troy, of "Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?" fame. The only real fun to be had here is wondering whether Burton saw the project as a metaphor for his own career: a man who sold his soul in return for earthly pleasures... as embodied by Elizabeth Taylor. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

An Actor's Conviction and a Character's Consistency
I've always been a fan of Richard Burton. He was a powerful actor and a fascinating personality. His voice elevates whatever he speaks, whether it's Hamlet or a guest shot on "The Fall Guy." He was a man conflicted about everything in his life, battling the bottle and then everything else with the bottle. He went from a poor Welsh upbringing to starring in the biggest movie ever made (CLEOPATRA) and in love with the glamorous star in the world (Elizabeth Taylor).

So you would think that a man who appears to have made a Faustian bargain in his personal life would be perfect in a film of that legend...but I found the character inconsistent and it disrupted the movie as well.

As powerful as Burton can be, roaring and raging his way through the highs and lows of wisdom and damnation, I couldn't follow his character arc and wondered at times where he was going with this.

Best example: Burton's invisible Faustus ridicules and torments a meeting of the Pope and his underlings (these terribly officious members of the clergy are made up so pale that they appear--and are played--as clowns). Considering Burton's feelings about faith and the church, this is a pretty accurate portrayal of the actor's beliefs...but I wondered what this had to do with the lofty goals of Faustus once he'd made his deal with the devil.

But maybe Burton's take on the Faust legend has more to do with Burton than Faust: the actor runs through the character the way the actor ran through his life, living in high style, drinking and partying to an early grave, marrying glamor queens. His wife at the time, Elizabeth Taylor, wanders through the film without ever saying a word as Burton/Faust stares with desire and trepidation. (If Faustus was really dragged into Hell, why would it be by a green Elizabeth Talyor and not some ugly and repellent witch?).

I'd be curious to see how the actual stage play read compared to the film. If you're a fan of Burton and Taylor, you might stay interested. Burton certainly has some great moments but you get a little tired of the same music that plays every time Liz walks through.

"Now Faustus What Would Thou Hast We Do?" ~ At What Cost Wisdom
`Doctor Faustus', the '68 re-visioning of the Faustus/Mephistophelian Mythos produced, directed and starring Richard Burton is somewhat of a mixed bag, moving from immensely satisfying to plodding and back again. Burton is perfect as Doctor John Faustus, the ultimate Renaissance man whose thirst for knowledge takes him beyond the confines of conventional wisdom into the forbidden mysteries which can only be accessed by a pact with the Devil in exchange for a human soul. This is the role he was was born to play, plummeting the depths of the psyche and all the angst that goes with it has always been what he does best.

Andreas Teuber's portrayal of Mephistopheles is the perfect counterbalance to the histrionic Faustus. Disturbingly quiet, attentive and thoughtful his demonic persona wavers subtly between melancholy and malignant. It's amazing how his expressionless face can at the same time be so expressive.

While the story is classic, the visuals at times hypnotic and Burton and Teuber superb, I found the presence of Elizabeth Taylor distracting and an unnecessary addition to the film. Aware of Richard and Liz's highly publicized love/hate relationship made her inclusion as his otherworldly lover a parody of their off-screen antics and detracted from the intended mood and mystery of the film. Fortunately this shortcoming may no longer apply to a younger generation unfamiliar with their off again on again romance.

All and all an enjoyable thought provoking film for the Faustus in all of us.

Surreal and unusually interesting...
The first 30 minutes of this movie, I could do without. It only gets interesting once Faustus makes a deal with the devil and becomes young again. He babbles a lot of nonsense but it's okay, because Richard Burton shows his true acting chops here and makes it all convincing. Elizabeth Taylor plays a beautiful woman in many forms who seduces him and seals his fate to an eternity in Hell. The sets are simple but beautiful; it's all very surreal. The acting by Burton is great and incomparable. The only sound we hear from Taylor is her laughter at the end as she brings Burton's character down to Hell. All in all, not a bad movie, but it's not for everyone.