Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau

The Profile

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born 1888, died 1931) was a German film director and a leading figure of German Expressionist cinema, director of films including Nosferatu and Faust. He emigrated to the United States in the mid-1920s.

Born in 1888; prominent German film director associated with German Expressionism; directed Nosferatu (1922), Faust (1926) and later worked in the United States (including Sunrise); died in 1931.

A close reading of Murnau's Faust praises its visual charm, use of light and shadow, and expressionist atmosphere. The reviewer highlights Faust (1926) as Murnau's last German film before emigrating to the United States. Silent-film pacing and acting are noted as challenging for modern viewers, but the film's imagery and demonic sequences are celebrated.