In his thirst for knowledge and power, Dr. Faustus (Richard Burton) shuns science and turns to magic. He summons the devil`s minion Mephistopheles and makes a deadly deal with the devil. In exchange for being Great Emperor of the World, and having the beautiful Helen of Troy (Elizabeth Taylor) for his concubine, Faustus promises Mephistopheles his soul. However, the price of power proves too high for Faustus, as earthly pleasures become insignificant in contrast with the loss of his immortal spirit. After mounting a production of Christopher Marlowe`s 16th century play Doctor Faustus for the stage, Burton embarked--with the help of Oxford University--on the weighty mission of putting Marlowe`s immortal verse on film, and this was the result. Burton gives a typically strong performance in this curiosity full of strong, bizarre imagery.