There are hints of Expressionism on display in Germany's August 1913 "The Student of Prague." Because this was the first motion picture exemplifying an aesthetic found in later Continental movies, historians label "The Student of Prague" as the first Expressionist film. It certainly qualifies as Germany's first art movie.
Based on Edgar Allen Poe's short story "William Wilson," "The Student of Prague" contains several expressionistic features. Its set lighting, especially in the card-playing sequence, where the actors are highlighted at the table while the background is completely dark, was unique in 1913. This contrasting light/dark Chiaroscuro lighting would become a trademark in future German Expressionism films.
Also, the story lends itself to an expressionistic idea: a financially struggling student unwittingly accepts money for what turns out to be a soulless Doppelgänger (a mirror image of lead actor Paul Wegener, the student). Cinematographer Guido Seeber was able to create the double image within a single frame seamlessly, using the special effects split screen to convince his audience the witnessing of a real spiritual being whose ultimate existence is to ruin the student's life.
The director, Stellan Rye, who died early in World War One (November 1914) in a prisoner of war camp, used the landmarks of Prague to make his fantasy tale more believable, another Expressionist imprint. Lastly, the German obsession with traits that are ripe for expressionistic examination, narcissism and greed leading to ultimate destruction, are all addressed here as well as future German classics such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1921)," " Nosferatu (1922)," and "Metropolis (1927)."
Based on Edgar Allen Poe's short story "William Wilson," "The Student of Prague" contains several expressionistic features. Its set lighting, especially in the card-playing sequence, where the actors are highlighted at the table while the background is completely dark, was unique in 1913. This contrasting light/dark Chiaroscuro lighting would become a trademark in future German Expressionism films.
Also, the story lends itself to an expressionistic idea: a financially struggling student unwittingly accepts money for what turns out to be a soulless Doppelgänger (a mirror image of lead actor Paul Wegener, the student). Cinematographer Guido Seeber was able to create the double image within a single frame seamlessly, using the special effects split screen to convince his audience the witnessing of a real spiritual being whose ultimate existence is to ruin the student's life.
The director, Stellan Rye, who died early in World War One (November 1914) in a prisoner of war camp, used the landmarks of Prague to make his fantasy tale more believable, another Expressionist imprint. Lastly, the German obsession with traits that are ripe for expressionistic examination, narcissism and greed leading to ultimate destruction, are all addressed here as well as future German classics such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1921)," " Nosferatu (1922)," and "Metropolis (1927)."