Sunday, 16 November 2008

The Student of Prague 1913

The Student of Prague (1913)

Directors: Paul Wegener and Stellan Rye

Actors: Paul Wegener, John Gottowt, Grete Berger, Lyda Salmonova, Lothar Korner and Fritz Weidermann

Writers: Alfred de Musset, Edgar Allan Poe and Hanz Heinz Ewers

Release date: 22nd August 1913 (Germany)



Balduin (played by Paul Wegener) is a poor student from Prague in the 1800's. By accident, he rescues a beautiful Countess, Margit Schwarzenberg (played by Grete Berger) and becomes obsessed with her. Scapinelli (played by John Gottowt), the sorcerer, makes a bargain with Balduin for 100,000 gold pieces. In return for the wager, Scapinelli can take anything he wishes from Balduin’s room. The room being mostly bare, Balduin agrees and signs the contract. Scapinelli approaches a mirror in the room and to Balduin’s amazement, extracts Balduin’s reflection. Scapinelli then leaves with the reflection. Happy with his wealth, the student Balduin is now unaware of his fate which is now doomed.

Paul Wegeners directorial debut.

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German Silent Films

After World War 1, the German silent film industry flourished, which was aided by rampant inflation throughout the 1920’s.

After the horrors of the war, the German silent film industry tended to be aimed at horror and crime films. This culminated in the German silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, which was made in 1919. This film is credited as the beginning of expressionism within German film. There was no location shooting, but relied on sets that were painted to represent the mental state of a madman.

Other landmark films from this period in German silent film are Nosferatu 1922 and The Golem 1920.

Films from this period concentrated on imagery and symbolism to tell the narrative. The expressionist movement within German silent cinema ended during the mid 1920’s.