FAUST at Sage Chapel – Live Score by Invincible Czars!

Cornell Cinema is thrilled to welcome the Invincible Czars back to Sage Chapel to celebrate 100 years of the silent masterpiece FAUST (1926)!

The Invincible Czars will perform a brand new electrifying score that brings this classic film to life for contemporary audiences by marrying new and old elements of classical music, bossa nova, and even a touch of heavy metal and incorporating a mix of instruments like flute, violin and electric guitar. Their annual performance at Sage Chapel is a highlight of the spooky season in Ithaca!

Faust—directed by the legendary F.W. Murnau—centers on an elderly alchemist named Faust (Gösta Ekman) who makes a pact with the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) to gain the power to protect his village from plague. Faust soon succumbs to temptation and asks Mephisto to restore his youth and help him acquire all the hedonistic pleasures that earth can offer. Eventually, his love affair with a young woman named Gretchen (Camilla Horn) leads to tragic and devastating consequences for them both.

Faust is the quintessential “deal with the devil” tale based on a centuries-old European legend and Johann Wofgang Goethe’s 1808 play, which is considered one of Germany’s greatest literary works. The play also inspired the famous opera by Charles Guonod which director F.W. Murnau used as a map for his 1926 film. (Fun fact: Faust is the opera being presented in Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera, which Cornell Cinema featured at Sage Chapel last year.) Virtually every "sell your soul" type story from the film Crossroads to songs like "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" owes a debt to Faust — whether their creators realize it or not!

The event will take place at Sage Chapel, Ho Plaza, Ithaca, New York. More information about parking and directions is available on our website.

Special event pricing applies and all tickets must be purchased online in advance. We expect a sell-out crowd, so please get your tickets early to avoid disappointment!

The Invincible Czars have made a name for themselves among horror and classic film lovers in the US and Canada with their original, tastefully modern live soundtracks for silent films which they started creating for the original Alamo Drafthouse in their hometown of Austin, TX in 2007, though they began making their whacky brand of cinematic rock in 2003. They are great at using music and sound to transform century-old movies into immersive and engaging experiences that allow audiences to approach, appreciate, and enjoy the depth and innovation of classic silent film. Czars shows are a lot of fun with opportunities for audience participation and costumery. 

Cornell Cinema's annual Silent Film with Live Music at Sage Chapel is cosponsored by the Wharton Studio Museum as part of Silent Movie Month in Ithaca.

Part of our "Altered States in Silent Cinema" series. Courtsey: Kino Lorber on behalf of Murnau Stiftung.

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