Henri Faust, a scholar and would-be alchemist, is retiring after fifty years of teaching at the university. But he now feels like he gave up the simple joys of life, including love, by devoting his life to scholarship, and he realizes how much knowledge (including the secret of creating gold) he still lacks. The demon Mephistopheles appears in the form of a handsome young man and tries to drive a bargain with Faust: the demon will give him a kind of "do-over" existence as a young man with the ability to find love, power and more knowledge, but if he needs to call on Mephistopheles for help, Faust must sign his soul over in blood. Faust agrees and suddenly, he becomes the young form of the devil, and Mephistopheles takes on the form of the old Faust. The young Faust is in for a wild ride as he is arrested (when he enters his own house to get some money and is taken for a thief), falls in love with a gypsy fortune teller named Marguerite, discovers the secret of alchemy and is able to make gold from sand, and falls in with a powerful prince (and takes the princess as a lover). But ultimately, as we know this is the Faust legend, he is going to have to make a decision about the things of the world vs. his eternal soul.French director René Clair brings his fizzy whimsy and visual flair to this tale; the narrative gets a bit convoluted at times but the rich look of the film is always a delight, as are the performances. Even though there are several characters, acting-wise it is largely a two-man show. Michel Simon, one of France's most prolific actors, has a field day as the aged, doddering Faust and then as the still-aged but sly Mephistopheles. The remarkably handsome Gérard Philipe (pictured) is perhaps even better as the sly devil and then the confused but ambitious youth. The switching of the actors in their roles is a small stroke of genius, even if it does sometimes lead to some plot confusion—I was uncertain how the world at large was reacting to the devil-as-Faust since he does seem to undergo a change in character. I also like that the demon is not The Devil; we see Mephistopheles ask Lucifer for his help at times. At a little over 90 minutes, the film drags in the middle but you'll be glad to stuck with it by the end. A favorite quote, from the demon to Faust: "Your knowledge only serves to measure your ignorance." BTW, the literal translation of the French title, "The Beauty of the Devil," fits the film better, as the ostensible beauty of the title, Marguerite, actually has little to do here. [Criterion Channel]
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