The Student of Prague (1913)
"Der Student von Prag" (original title)

A poor student rescues a beautiful countess and soon becomes obsessed with her. A sorcerer makes a deal with the young man to give him fabulous wealth and anything he wants, if he will sign... See full summary »

Directors:

Stellan Rye, Paul Wegener

Writers:

Hanns Heinz Ewers, Edgar Allan Poe (story),

Stars:

Paul Wegener, John Gottowt, Grete Berger

Cast

Credited cast:
Paul Wegener	...	Balduin
John Gottowt	...	Scapinelli
Grete Berger	...	Komtesse Margit
Lyda Salmonova	...	Lyduschka
Lothar Körner	...	Graf von Schwarzenberg
Fritz Weidemann	...	Baron Waldis-Schwarzenberg
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hanns Heinz Ewers	...	Himself
Alexander Moissi

Storyline

A poor student rescues a beautiful countess and soon becomes obsessed with her. A sorcerer makes a deal with the young man to give him fabulous wealth and anything he wants, if he will sign his name to a contract. The student hurriedly signs the contract, but doesn't know what he's in for.

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Plot Keywords:

art horror | reference to satan | doppelganger | occult | haunting | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

September 1913 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Bargain with Satan

Filming Locations:

Prague, Czech Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

Deutsche Bioscop GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min 41 min (Alpha Video) 83 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is sometimes considered to be the first horror film ever made.

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Connections

Featured in Fejezetek a film történetéböl: A német film 1933-ig (1989)

User Reviews

The Grandfather of Horror Films

If "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is the father of all horror films (and of German expressionist cinema), this pre-WWI film is the grandfather. The titular student, starving in an empty garret, makes a deal with the Devil-- the Devil gives him a bottomless sack of gold, in exchange for "anything in this room." The Devil chooses the student's reflection in his mirror. He walks off with the student's doppelganger, who commits crimes for which the student is blamed.

The film is marred by some limitations arising out of the technically primitive state of 1913 filmmaking; the plot cries out for chiaroschuro effects, but the film is, of necessity, virtually all shot in shadowless daylight. But the scene where the reflection walks out of the mirror still packs a wallop.

More interesting for the trends it fortells than for its own sake, The Student of Prague is still worthwhile.