Doctor Faustus (1967)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Written by Nevill Coghill, based on the play by Christopher Marlowe
Directed by Richard Burton and Nevill Coghill
Starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Andreas Teuber, Ian Marter, Elizabeth O'Donovan

Released by: Columbia/Tristar
Rating: NR (some images unsuitable for young audiences)
Region: 1
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Own it if you are fan of the classics.

Academic Doctor Faustus (Burton) has decided that having all of the earthly knowledge one can have is just not enough. Since he's been dabbling in the occult, he's decided that there's only one thing better: having the demons of Hell at his command to provide him with anything he desires. There's only one catch: after a certain amount of time, he must surrender his soul to Lucifer. Along the way, though, he's tempted with the most beautiful women in the world, including Helen of Troy (Taylor) and he deals with the regret for the potential loss of his mortal soul.

Burton and Coghill have directed a strong screen adaptation of this Marlowe classic. Burton is outstanding as Faustus, playing equal parts blind ambition and unending regret for his decision. Mephistopheles, played by Andreas Teuber, is a hauntingly complex character. Ironically enough, it's he that offers Faustus his way out at the very beginning...but after the contract has been signed in Faustus' own blood, he is the ever-obedient servant. The scenes of Hell and the conjuring of the demons is hauntingly simple and downright scary in some places even considering the fact that special effects technology as we came to know it was in its infancy at the time that this movie was produced. Taylor is everything that she has to be: stunningly beautiful.

The DVD itself is a disappointment. As a student of theatre history, I was hoping at the very least for a documentary on the life of Christopher Marlowe and the play in particular. After all, it was Marlowe that was killed in a bar brawl in Shakespeare in Love, remember? I'm sure that there must have been some vintage documentary material complete with interviews with Burton and Taylor about the making of this movie. Granted Burton is no longer with us, but there could have been a film historian's commentary paired with a theatre historian's commentary to point out what liberties were taken with the adaptation to the screen. Still, at the very least, it's presented here in a widescreen format. At least we should be thankful for that.

If you are a fan of Elizabethan Drama, you will definitely want to own this one. You won't be disappointed. Just be ready to drop it if they every release a Criterion Collection version.