La bellezza del diavolo
Directed by:
René ClairScreenplay:
René ClairCinematography:
Michel KelberComposer:
Roman VladCast:
Michel Simon, Gérard Philipe, Nicole Besnard, Simone Valère, Carlo Ninchi, Raymond Cordy, Tullio Carminati, Paolo Stoppa, Gaston Modot, Armand SalacrouPlots(1)
Professor Henri Faust, retiring after 50 years as an alchemist in a circa-1700 university, despairs at still knowing nothing of the true secrets of nature...whereupon his old acquaintance Mephistopheles, servant of Lucifer, appears and grants him youth and a new life. But with youth, Faust's interest is diverted from science to women. And Mephistopheles, who has taken on the guise of the elderly Faust that was, sets many snares for his young friend's slippery soul. (Cohen Media Group)
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Reviews (2)
An entertaining variation on Faust that is really nice with that French light humor, where it's not exaggerated at all, leaning towards drama rather than comedy. This is not supposed to be a slapstick, this is supposed to be a film that says something, that shows what people are like and what they are capable of doing when they have the opportunity.
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The film appeared on TV several times in the 80s as a representative of old French cinema, and each time it was a cinematic event for me. This Faustian comedy simply has flair and elegance. René Clair added briskness and witty dialogues. Michel Simon was the perfect, charismatic devil, and Gérard Philipe was an incredibly likable Faust, so I always forgave them even the happy ending... Overall impression: 80%.
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