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Istvan Szabo's take on the Faust legend incorporates the contemporary tendency to depict it in psychological terms, with the original myth's emphasis on spiritual values. It is a chilling display of soullessness by both the director and lead actor Klaus Maria Brandauer-- it makes the hair on your arms and the back of your neck stand up, a clear sign that you are viscerally experiencing what you see. In retrospect, the reason horror stories like this come to life is that the protagonist and director are dealing with matters they know intimately, whether through direct experience or imagination so powerful it creates a type of reality. This is one of those movies that cling to you emotionally, that your memory harks back to on a cold rainy morning. "A German stage actor finds unexpected success and mixed blessings in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-WWII Germany. As his associates and friends flee or are ground under by the Nazi terror, the popularity of his character supercedes his own existence until he finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons." (Keith Loh on IMDB)