Vox Nova At The Movies: Doctor Faustus

Mr. Neville Judson Coghill

Wrote a deal of dangerous doggerill.
Practical, progressive men
Called him Little Poison-pen.

— J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 275 in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. ed. Humphrey Carpenter (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981).

A man of no small influence himself, Nevill Coghill was a medievalist, famous for his translations of Chaucer and Langland made for the BBC, but also for his work as a director for the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS). Moreover, as one of many who made a profound influence on C.S. Lewis, he was to become one of that band of friends known as the Inklings. It was therefore of much interest to me that I happened to find out he wrote and co-directed a movie based upon Christopher Marlowe’s drama, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.

Starring Richard Burton as Faust, and featuring Elizabeth Taylor as Helen of Troy, Coghill’s Doctor Faustus is a rather interesting retelling of the Faust legend. Outside of the two headliners, the movie had for its cast actors from the OUDS, such as Ian Marter. The film tried to exist as something more than a stage play but less than a normal movie; indeed, one can tell it was inspired and within the tradition of theatrical productions, except no play could have had the special effects that are seen throughout Doctor Faustus.

Burton shines in the role of Faust; indeed, one of the most compelling aspects of this portrayal of the Faust legend is the changes which we see happen to Faust throughout the story. Before his pact with Mephistopheles, he is an elderly scholar with thick glasses, clearly at the peak of his career; but all that he has done has not brought him satisfaction. He wants more. He pleads for more. And it is more that he is given: after convincing two occultists to help him learn the dark arts, we are given a rather sophisticated scene where he summons Mephistopheles in front of a hanging skeleton. When the devil first takes shape, it is as maggots covering that skeleton; disturbed by this, Faust demands the devil to take the shape of a Franciscan friar, saying it would be the perfect form for a devil.

Because Mephistopheles does as he is asked, Faust believed he was in control. Mephistopheles had come, and had done his bidding; this could only mean he has gained power over the devil. But he is wrong; he learns, instead, that Mephistopheles was interested in what he was doing, and that is the only reason he came. Thus Faust comes up with a pact: he would offer his soul to the devil if Lucifer would allow Mephistopheles to become Faust’s for twenty four years, providing for all of Faust’s demands and desires during that time. Mephistopheles says he will take the message back to Lucifer and see what comes of it (of course, Lucifer was to accept). Yet, in this interesting portrayal of the devil, we get a sense of sorrow: Mephistopheles suggests Faust abandon his plan, and tells him that the fate of the damned is to find all existence miserable, to find life itself is hell. Faust does not heed Mephistopheles, and becomes the master of magic and power as he desired; indeed, he is, as it were, given a tour of hell, with a parade of devils representing various sins coming to him, showing him the glories they have to offer. Thus pride, sloth, gluttony, greed, envy are shown exactly for what they are. One devil, for example, is shown to exist in a gilded cage – it looks like a prison to those outside it, but the devil claims it is not: the cage is not to keep him in but to keep others out and away from his wealth.

Faust becomes a powerful wizard, and presents himself to the Emperor, capable of summoning spirits which can take on the form of the dead (such as Alexander the Great and Helen of Troy). He is given praises for his skill, and achieves quite a reputation among the land, receiving the life of fame and fortune that he wants. But as time goes on, one can tell he has grown weary of all he has; indeed, as it comes close to the time when he will have to relinquish his soul, he begins to grow fearful. In the last minutes of his life, he tries to flee and move back to Christ; he calls for Christ to offer his blood to him: one drop, one-half a drop, would be enough to save his doomed soul. But it is too late, and Faust is sent to hell, where he is taken by the devils into their kingdom, laughing at him as he is led to his doom.

There are many things one can like about this presentation of Faust. But to appreciate them, one must realize from the onset that it is not Goethe’s Faust; one should not expect it to present the same story or themes as Goethe’s rendition of the legend. Moreover, because of its dramatic, play-like structure and presentation, it is not typical of films we usually go and see and must be seen within the right spirit, otherwise it will certainly fail to meet one’s expectations. The acting is, for the most part, superb; the scenery is play-like but this does not get in the way of one’s enjoyment of the story. The pace of the script is slow, especially if viewed by modern standards. But there is something to the story that makes one interested in it, especially once it takes on quite a Dante-like presentation of hell and its citizens after Faust covenanted his soul away to Lucifer. The religious themes can, at times, seem a bit thick, but that is because the story is clearly a morality play, which is something we are not used to in modern cinema. But if one takes it for what it is, and not for what it is not, I would recommend the film to be seen, if just for once; but one must realize it is not the best of all movies and indeed, if one is viewing it just for entertainment value alone, they will probably be able to find something better. Because of this caveat, I am going to give the movie two different ratings: three out of four stars if one comes in with the right spirit, but one and a half stars out of four stars if one is wanting only to see an entertaining movie and nothing else.