In fact, the devil really is a son of a bitch. Faust falls for the pure Gretchen, but under the guidance of the devil Faust corrupts Gretchen. She struggles through the birth of their child and its death. But amidst all this suffering, which the devil is really enjoying, something happens to redeem the tragic situation. Under F.W. Murnau 's direction, Jannings expertly hits dramatic poses that look as though they are modelled after a stylized illustration.
Some modern critics make Jannings out to be nothing more than a pompous overactor.
We say that Jannings' Faust role must be taken as a visual device at director Murnau's control first and as characterization and a plot device a distant second. All characters and situations revolve, like a medieval concept of the solar system, around Faust. Faust is the one who changes during the course of the film. Camilla Horn is lovely as Gretchen in her first real film role. Murnau does depart from the text of plays and legends.