American Gothic take on the Faust legend, about a poor New England farmer who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for material wealth, which ultimately corrupts him.
Directed by William Dieterle, who appeared in Murnau's 1926 film of Faust, the style here is heavily infused with the influence of German Expressionism, particularly in the shots of the light falling across the farm at night which recalls Murnau's Sunrise. The rural Gothic horror element also looks forward to The Night of the Hunter, especially the eerie image of the devil as seen by the farmer from his window at night.
No comments:
Post a Comment