The Student from Prague (1935)

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Movie
Original title The student from Prague
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1935
length 79, 87 minutes
Rod
Director Arthur Robison
script Hans Kyser
Artur Robison
production Cine Allianz-Tonfilm GmbH , Berlin
music Theo Mackeben
camera Bruno Mondi
cut Roger from Norman
occupation

as well as in small roles Fred Goebel , Walter von Allwörden , Kurt Getke , Paul Rehkopf , Heinz Herkommer

The Student of Prague is a German horror 'and' fantasy film from 1935. Directed by Arthur Robison took Anton Walbrook the title role. It is the third film adaptation of the eponymous horror story by Hanns Heinz Ewers .

action

The Studiosus Balduin is known in Prague at the end of the 19th century as an excellent sword fencer. In the student basement he celebrates the birthday of young Lydia, who is secretly in love with Baldwin, with friends. When suddenly the beautiful opera singer Julia enters the bar, Baldwin only has eyes for her. She is pushed to sing for the small company. One of the students, the brisk Zavrel, takes too much out of himself and tries to kiss Julia. Baldwin jumps in between and defends the artist's honor with his sword. Impressed by his gallantry, Julia invites the group to their next opera performance.

Dr. Carpis, a sinister fellow and former lover of the singer, sees the looming liaison between Julia and Balduin with growing discomfort. In her cloakroom he warns her in a threatening form and asks her to come back to him. Baldwin is torn by Julia and shares his deep admiration for his beloved in front of the theater. But the artist seems unreachable, and so Baldwin begins to talk to himself with his reflection in the mirror, which he calls a youthful enthusiast. As if out of nowhere, Dr. Carpis up. He drapes the mirror with his black cloak and darkly explains to Baldwin that he will have more success without the enthusiastic mirror existence. As the first result of this action, Baldwin has a lot of luck in the game: he takes a veritable fortune from Baron Waldis, another admirer of Juliet, including a carriage and horses.

One night Baldwin sees his own reflection in a dream. Baldwin suppresses this premonition and instead goes to a costume ball with Julia. Both dance, grimly watched by Dr. Carpis. Only Julia notices this and a little later warns Baldwin of his sinister intentions. But Baldwin is young and carefree and brushes her worries aside. Instead, he kisses her. Carpis appears out of nowhere and shows Balduin what he thought was his lost reflection: his mirrored self steps through the door. Baldwin can't believe it and begins to pursue his alter ego, confused. On the way to the ballroom, there is a dramatic confrontation with Baron Waldis. This hits Baldwin in the face, whereupon the latter challenges him to a duel.

Julia now asks Baldwin to spare Waldis during the duel. When Carpis Balduin finds out that Julia still loves Waldis and then his reflection also appears during the duel, Baldwin gets so enraged that he stabs Baron Waldis with his sword. Baldwin realizes that he is close to madness and must act. Everywhere he goes, his reflection, released by Carpis, is also present and so gradually drives him crazy. Back in his room, Baldwin tears the black cloak from the mirror. Then his reflection enters the room. Now two balduins are standing in front of the mirror. Baldwin shoots at his mirrored self. The mirror breaks into a thousand pieces, and Baldwin sinks down, fatally wounded.

Production notes

The student from Prague was the last directorial work of the German-American Arthur Robison. He died two months after filming was completed, which lasted from late July to late August 1935. The premiere was on December 10, 1935 in Berlin's Gloria-Palast . After the two silent films from 1913 and 1926 , this film is the only sound film version to date.

For the two previous owners of the production company Cine Allianz, the Jews Arnold Pressburger and Gregor Rabinowitsch , Der Student von Prag was the first film that they were no longer allowed to produce personally, as they had been forced out of their own company at the time of shooting as part of a Nazi forced Aryanization measure were.

Fritz Klotzsch was in charge of production and line-up, and the film structures were made by Hermann Warm and Carl Haacker . Carl Wilhelm Tetting served as assistant production and director. The soprano Miliza Korjus took over the singing parts of Dorothea Wiecks Julia.

Reviews

Wiens Neue Freie Presse reported in the edition of December 11, 1935: "In the title role, Adolf Wohlbrück towers far above his previous fanatical level. He makes people who are whipped by demons and who are increasingly exhausted and disappointed chasing happiness. Being Play is full of honesty and intensity. [...] Theodor Loos is extraordinary in his powerfully demonic, coldly calculating manner, who occasionally lets the fire of passion and disappointed love jump out of his self-control. "

In the issue of December 13, 1935, page 2 of the Österreichische Film-Zeitung reads: "The captivating, mysterious events roll on the screen in gripping images. [...] Adolf Wohlbrück, as a student Balduin, gives an interesting study (... ). "

Lotte H. Eisner wrote in “The Demonian Screen”: "The gap between a silent version and a sound version of the same subject seems unbridgeable; even a director of the highest caliber like Arthur Robison failed when he wrote the third version of STUDENTEN in 1936 VON PRAGUE has to turn. "

The Lexicon of International Films found that this third film version “does not [reach] the artistic rank of its predecessor. Echoes of the Expressionist style of the twenties are particularly unmistakable in the furnishings. "

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Kay Wenigers In life, more is taken from you than given . Lexicon of filmmakers who emigrated from Germany and Austria between 1933 and 1945. A general overview. ACABUS Verlag, Hamburg 2011. pp. 400 and 403 f.
  2. ↑ "The Student from Prague". In:  Neue Freie Presse , December 11, 1935, p. 8 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nfp
  3. ↑ "The Student from Prague". In:  Österreichische Film-Zeitung , December 13, 1935, p. 2 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / fil
  4. ↑ The demonic canvas, hrgg. v. Hilmar Hoffmann and Walter Schobert. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1980, p. 326.
  5. ↑ Klaus Brüne (Red.): Lexikon des Internationale Films, Volume 7, P. 3636. Reinbek near Hamburg 1987.

literature

  • Leonard Langheinrich Anthos: The student from Prague. In: Hanns Heinz Ewers / Leonard Langheinrich Anthos: The student from Prague . 112 p. With numerous illustrations and the original exposé from 1913. MEDIA Net Edition , Kassel, 2015. ISBN 978-3-939988-30-4 . ( Films to read . 3), pp. 25–90
  • Reinhold Keiner: "The act that he did not want to commit was committed by the other." Thoughts on Hanns Heinz Ewers and his films and novellas, Der Student von Prag . In: Hanns Heinz Ewers / Leonard Langheinrich Anthos: The student from Prague. 112 p. With numerous illustrations and the original exposé from 1913. MEDIA Net-Edition , Kassel 2015. ISBN 978-3-939988-30-4 . (Films to read. 3). Pp. 7-18.

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