Film Archive
Student of Prague, The (Student von Prag, Der)
The student Balduin is at his wits' end. He has no money, but dreams of being a wealthy, society man. As Balduin mumbles this wish to himself one day, suddenly the adventurer Scalpinelli appears and dumps a load of money in front of him. All this money can be his to fulfill his dream of wealth and luxury. Scalpinelli doesn't ask for much in return, just something from Balduin's modest home. He agrees right away, what could Scalpinelli possibly find? However, much to Balduin's dismay, Scalpinelli decides to take the poor student's mirror image, which literally steps out of the mirror to follow its new master. From that moment on, Balduin lives a life of luxury among Prague's high society. One day he meets the daughter of Count Schwarzenberg, who is engaged to her cousin, the Baron Waldis Schwarzenberg. Balduin falls in love with her, and she too returns his feelings. The situation intensifies to the point that the two rivals, Balduin and Waldis, challenge each other to a duel. The old Count Schwarzenberg hears about the duel and asks Balduin, known as Prague's best fencer, to spare his nephew. Balduin agrees, but when he appears at the duel as a mere formality, he is met by his double, carrying a bloody sword in his hand. The duel had already taken place! From this point on, Balduin is stalked by his double. No matter where he flees, his "alter ego" accompanies him as a constant reminder of his past.
Stellan Rye was born in 1880 in Copenhagen and died as a prisoner of war in 1914 in France. After a military career, he began writing comedies between 1907 and 1908. He directed Wilhelm Gluckstadt's Det Blaa Blod (1912), one of the most important Danish films of the time, for the Danmark Filmfabrik. Hanns Heinz Ewers brought Rye to Berlin to direct the film adaptation of his novel Der Student von Prag. Rye's unique style became even clearer in his next film Das Haus ohne Fenster (1914). His other films include: Die Eisbraut and The Student of Prague (1913), Die Augen des Ole Brandis (1913), ... denn alle Schuld raecht sich auf Erden (1913), Bitte ohne Anhang (1914), and Erlkoenigs Tochter (1914).Category Feature Film Cinema, Silent
Year of Production 1913
Director Stellan Rye
Screenplay Hanns Heinz Ewers
Director of Photography Guido Seeber
Music by Prof. Josef Weiss
Production Design Robert A. Dietrich, Klaus Richter
Production Company Deutsche Bioscop/Berlin
Principal Cast Grete Berger, John Gottowt, Lothar Koerner, Lyda Salmonova, Paul Wegener, Fritz Weidemann
Length 57 min, 1,538 m
Format 35 mm, b&w, 1:1.37
Intertitled Versions German
Festival Screenings Hong Kong 2009
German Distributor Deutsches Filminstitut - DIF/Wiesbaden