Faust (1926) - full transcript

A GERMAN FOLK TALE.

Behold!

The portals of darkness are open, and the
shadows of the dead hunt over the Earth...

"Back! Hold! Why dost thou scourge
mankind with War, Plague, Famine?!"

"The Earth is mine!"

"Never will the Earth be thine:
Man belongs to God!"

"Look below!"

"All things in heaven and on Earth

are wonderful!

But the greatest wonder

is man's freedom to choose



between good and evil!"

"Dost thou know Faust?"

"A knave like all others!
He preaches good and does evil!

He seeks to turn
base metal into gold!

Behold his greed!"

"A wager: I will wrest
Faust's soul away from God!"

"If thou canst destroy what is divine

in Faust, the Earth is thine!"

"No man can resist evil!
The bet is on!"

"The Plague! The Plague!"

The devastating pestilence raged:

in a few days half the town lay dying.

To find a cure for the Plague,

Faust spent day and night



in prayer with God.

And there was a great cry in Egypt, for
there was not a house without its dead.

"Lord God, bless this act of redemption!

Only you can alleviate our misery!"

"Help... help!
My mother is dying!"

Mortal terror and fear of death
swept through the town.

"Repent, fast, pray!
Only Faith can vanquish death!"

"Have respect for the dead!"

"We still live, we still love! We shall
die dancing in each other's arms!"

"Who has faith shall live!
But death will take the sinners!"

"The Plague! The Plague!"

"Compassion, Faust!
Only you can help us!"

"Get hence! We are lost!
No faith is any help.

No knowledge is any help.
All is vanity... "

Mine God, thou art merciful
and a great goodness.

The third great Key
to the Force of the Ghost of Hell.

And if thou would summon the Prince of
Darkness to aid thee and give thee

all the might and glory of the world, go to
a crossroad and call on him three times.

"I invoke thy aid,
Spirit of Darkness: show thyself!"

"Come forth, demon of evil!"

"As thou art called with
thy unholy name:

MEPHISTO
appear!"

"You have summoned me!"

"Here I am!"

I renounce God and his heavenly legion,
and so shall be mine

the power and glory of the world.

"Be gone from me, Satan!"

"To have the power to help
for only one day!"

"One day! Try it!
Just one trial day!"

"When the hour-glass has run out... "

"... you go free, the Pact
canceled! Sign!"

glory... power

"Can you help the hungry
and the sick?"

"What you wish I will perform: you are
the master and I am your servant. "

"A drop of blood!"

"Blood is quite
a remarkable substance!"

"Only for one day?"

"Until the sand has run out!"

"Faust! Help us!"

"Then I shall help
in the devil's name!"

"A miracle! A miracle!"

"In the name of Christ crucified,
help my child!"

"He cannot look upon
the Holy Cross!"

"He is in league with the devil!
Stone him! Stone him!"

"Deliver me, elixir of death!"

"You may not cheat me! Remember
our pact: the trial day is not over yet. "

"Death sets all men free!"

"Is that death?"

"It is life, Faust, seducing you with
the fair image of your youth. "

"Wretched Faust, why do you seek
death? You have not yet lived!"

"I despise my life!"

"Your life was only the dust and
mold of books! Pleasure is all!"

"I am too old!"

"I offer you the greateast
happiness: youth! Seize it!"

"Give me youth!"

"I've caught you, old boy!"

"Take me to her!"

"Step upon my cloak... "

"... and the spinning Earth
will spread before you!"

"The wedding feast for the Duchess of
Parma, the most beautiful woman in Italy!"

"Strange guests!"

"To pay tribute to the highest beauty, my
lord brings you his kingdom's treasures!"

"The day is over! The sand has run out!
Be as you were!"

"Youth... Leave me youth!"

"Our pact stands for eternity?"

"You have tasted all of life's pleasures, Faust! From indulgence
to indulgence, sensation without end, yet nothing satisfied you!"

"What will you: a woman, a game of chance, an orgy?
Whatever you wish, I must grant!"

"Do you want the Emperor's crown?"

"Home!"

"Take me home! And at once!"

"Is today a feast day in your town?"

"Are you heathen born that you have never heard
of Holy Easter?"

"It is as if life had stood still:
All is as it once was!"

"An innocent little girl, running to a priest...
she is not for you!"

"Tedeum laudamus
Praise the Lord. "

"Vacation, mother!"

"I know more obliging wenches.
for you here!"

"I want only her.
Do as I command!"

"Brother Valentin!"

"Once she has this little golden chain in the
house she will begin to feel the devil's power!"

"Good gracious, how pretty you are!"

"Any lovers yet?"

"What have you, child?"

"Tell the mother of God,
if you cannot tell me!"

"May I visit Aunt Marthe?"

Frau Marthe Schwerdtlein

"Three little drops from this love potion by night
and all the girls' hearts will be yours!"

"Look Aunt Marthe what I found
in my drawer... "

"A rich treasure!"

"I found it in my jewelry box!"

"Just once let me try on
the beautiful necklace!"

"A small bouquet for the bridegroom,
a little wreath for the bride!"

"Pardon, lovely lady.
I seek Frau Marthe Schwerdtlein!"

"From your cousin...
from Lombardy...!"

"He gave me this necklace
as a gift for you!"

"Those we encircle within this ring
shall be sweethearts...!"

"One, two, three.
Makes you free!"

"Pardon: my stomach is too weak
for such a fiery drink!"

"Permit, that I mix myself a litle drink
as I learned it in Padua!"

"My friend, a prince of the noblest blood!"

"He loves me...

...loves me not...

...loves me... "

"Yes, with all his heart he loves you!"

"She loves me... "

"She loves me not. "

"She loves you!"

"I am yours forever!"

"He loves me!"

"What are you waiting for?
Your sweetheart herself lights the way for you!"

"Cursed matchmaker!"

"I will keep the brother out of the way!"

"To the prettiest girl in town!"

"No other girl is as pretty as your sister:
long live Gretchen!"

"A pretty girl is not pure!"

"Here's to Gretchen!"

"Here's to your Gretchen!"

"If you hurry you can catch her lover
before he slips out of her room. "

"Flee!... Flee!... you have murdered him!"

"Murder!"

"Murder... murder!"

"Murder... Murder... Murder!"

"Flee!... Flee! The deputes
already seek the murderer!"

"Touch me not, you wanton,
your lover has slain me!"

"First read a requiem. Mass for me!
Then to the stocks with this harlot!"

"Gretchen... Gretchen!"

"Now death and nature with surprise Behold the trembling
sinners rise To meet the Judge's searching eyes. "

"For now before the Judge severe
No crime can pass unpunished here. "

"All hidden things must plain appear. "

"Mother! Mother!"

"And has born a little child
in the depth of winter. "

"Have mercy on my child!"

"Are you not Gretchen, who stood in the stocks?"

"Mercy! Mercy! My child is dying!"

"She has killed her child!
Seize her, the murderess!"

"Faust... Faust... help your Gretchen!"

"Mephisto!"

"You have betrayed me!
She suffers! She suffers!"

"To the stake with the child murderer!"

"Save her, save Gretchen!"

"Too late! Even now they build her funeral pyre!"

"You are still my servant!
Bring me to her, or the pact is broken!"

"My steed awaits!
Quick, before morning comes!"

"Faster! Faster!"

"Oh had I never wished for youth, that brought this misery!
Curse... curse the delusion of youth!"

"You have yourself cursed youth!
What you wish I must grant!"

"Be as you were: an old man!"

"Forgive... forgive me my sin!"

"Gretchen!"

"Here is no place for thee!"

"I claim my wager!"

"One Word breaks thy pact!"

"Tell me the Word!"

"The Word that wings joyfully throughout the universe, The Word that appeases every pain and
grief, The Word that expiates all human guilt, the Eternal Word... dost thou not know it?"

"Tell me the Word!"

Love

THE END