Product Description

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. Richard Burton stars as the aging scholar who makes a deal with the devil for youth, knowledge, and a dazzling mistress. Taylor plays the spellbinding seductress who seals Faustus’ fate. Stars Academy Award® nominee Richard Burton and Academy Award® winner Elizabeth Taylor.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12992 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2004-03-02
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Georgian
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 93 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

Move slowly, you ever-moving spheres of heaven!
Marlowe's play is the archetype and cornerstone of the deal-with-the-Devil genre, and this film embodies it in an unending visual feast. The stylized, atmospheric sets, the low-key score (creepy and yearning by turns)and inventive visuals (one example of many: Faustus' conjuration of Mephistophilis is staged on a literal stage set, yet so well-directed that it never seems "stagy")set off Marlowe's wonderful poetry as black velvet sets off a diamond. Burton gives the performance of his career: even his work in EQUUS, fine as it was, doesn't offer him the scope that Faustus gives him. There are quiet turns of effective horror (all the more unexpected for capping off an overtly comic scene), and the final descent into Hell embodies Marlowe's orignal title: "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus." This is a tragedy of Faustus' wasted skill, talent, time and opportunities. All productions of Elizabethan dramatists should be this rich, well-directed and rewarding. Andreas Teuber as Mephistophilis steals the film with his performance as an achingly sad Mephistophilis. Truly a masterpiece.

Marlowe's work admirably brought to the screen.
This 1960's film featuring typical sets from the period does rather well with Marlowe's original play of the tragic decision made by a German professor to sell his soul in exchange for 4 and 20 years of self gratification. As in the original play, it is a very erudite work and features players from Oxford University as well as Burton at the height of his powers and his famous love for Elizabeth Taylor projected here in the role of Helen of Troy. A wonderful and haunting score in the opening credits and throughout the movie adds to the flavor of this intellectual delight. (The score is available on CD if you know where to look) This movie is DEEP. VERY DEEP! With lines such as "Settle thy studies Faustus, and begin to sound the depth of that thou wilt profess" Have a Latin dictionary nearby and don't let your attention wander! This movie is best seen at about 1:30AM, which is when it was usually shown on television! All kidding aside this is an interesting work and well worth your investment and time. Burton was a #1 box office draw in this era and Dr. Faustus will demonstrate why.

Ripe For Rediscovery.
Back in 1967 when this film was first released, critics jumped all over it as just a Richard Burton-Elizabeth Taylor vanity project which it was but that's all they saw. Now that Dick and Liz have been supplanted by Tom and Katie and Brad and Angelina the film is ripe for rediscovery and there is much to discover here. The beauty of Christopher Marlowe's play lies in the poetry of the lines and the philosophical and theological points the playwright raises. This Oxford University production which Burton co-directed captures its stage origins but is cleverly opened up in a number of ways which turn it into a fascinating cinematic experience thanks to an imaginative use of lighting, beautiful cinematography, and a haunting musical score by Mario Nascimbene (ONE MILLION YEARS B.C.). And then there is Richard Burton.

His intense portrayal of the title character is a joy to behold and serves as a vivid reminder of just what a charismatic performer he was. His glorious voice speaks the Elizabethan text as if it were everyday conversation but with a power and conviction that must be heard to be believed and thanks to the optional DVD subtitles you can follow along as he speaks if you wish. The rest of the cast is made up of members of the Oxford Dramatic Society and they fufill the other roles satisfactorily with Andreas Teuber an absolute standout as a melancholy Mephistopheles. Last but not least there is Elizabeth Taylor. She is required to do nothing more than look beautiful in various guises (she has no dialogue) but she makes her presence felt throughout considering how beautiful she was back then. Chances are no one will redo Marlowe's play on film anytime soon and so there is even more reason to celebrate this version which clearly shows what the play has to offer as a great precursor to Shakespeare and how to make a major film on a minor budget.