A new book explores the making of FW Murnau’s Faust as the silent film reaches its centenary. The Faust Bible reproduces a surviving production scrapbook, combining designs, stills and behind-the-scenes photographs from the 1926 film.
The scrapbook began as a prop Bible used in the production. Art directors Robert Herlth and Walter Röhrig recovered it after a filmed burning scene and filled its pages as a gift for Murnau. The material offers evidence of the collaborative work behind a director often associated with secrecy on set.
Faust was Murnau’s final German feature before his move to Hollywood. Initially a commercial disappointment, it later became a major subject of film scholarship. The surviving object connects its elaborate effects and imagery to specific production practices rather than treating the finished film solely as an isolated artistic achievement.
