L'étudiant de Prague

This was a film that I learned about years ago, but not fully sure how. My guess would be when I started looking at lists of older films. This is the third take on the source material, so learning it was a novel didn't shock me as that was where many early horror films started out. What I didn't realize until recently was the number of adaptations this early into cinema. I was intrigued to check this out, especially since this is a film from Germany.

Synopsis: Balduin (Anton Walbrook) loves innkeeper's niece Lydia (Edna Greyff) but is infatuated with singer Julia (Dorothea Wieck). She is kept by Baron Waldis (Erich Fielder). Dr. Carpis (Theodor Loos), jealous of the baron, intervened in Balduin's pursuit, exacting a high price that endangers his life and sanity.

We start this by hearing singing. This is taking place in a beer house. It is a birthday celebration for Lydia. In attendance is Bladuin along with his friends. They're having a great time. It is while they're here, Julia arrives with Baron Waldis. She catches the eye of Balduin. She is asked to sing and while she does, a student gets loud. He also tries to kiss her. To defend her honor, Balduin steps in. He ends up dueling with this man, showing us that he's talented with a sword. Julia invites him and the others to her show that night

It then shows us a Dr. Carpis arriving in town. He sees that Julia is performing in the opera, so he requests a box. He was there when Julia was singing and heard the commotion. What we'll learn is that he has history with her and she's trying to get away from him. During the performance, he noticed her looking at Balduin. He also doesn't like the baron who interrupts their talk in her dressing room.

Julia goes to the baron's carriage, realizing that she lost her bracelet. The baron goes to look for it and Balduin sees his chance to talk to her. Waldis finds it funny, stating that if her bracelet is found, there's a reward. Dr. Carpis joins Balduin as the carriage leaves. The bracelet is at his feet. The doctor gives Balduin an opportunity. If he is willing to give up the idle dreamer within himself, he will be lucky. He puts this to the test, defeating the baron in gambling and even winning the carriage. This puts a series of events in motion that will result in death and this young man's descent into madness over his love of Julia.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I wanted to start was that I wasn't fully sure what type of movie we'd be getting here. It had me questioning if this was going to be horror. What I'll say is, it takes time to develop but it's never boring. There are interesting questions that I have as to whether anything is supernatural happening or is it all in our lead character's head. This has made me curious now to see the other versions of this tale as well.

Where I'll start is with this lead character of Balduin. What is intriuging is that this feels like it is from a different time. The equivalent would be as a college student, meeting a singer that is known on the radio or like a budding movie star, shooting your shot and realizing you might have a chance. We then see the price of desire when Balduin is giving a Faustian bargain. We never truly learn who Dr. Carpis is but he's a stand-in for the devil in the story. Balduin cannot compete with Baron Waldis or the expensive tastes that she has. The only way is Dr. Carpis taking his sentimental dreamer side to make him lucky. We see that no matter what he does, he can't lose. This starts his descent into madness.

That then leads me to my next point. I've already said that we're watching Balduin descend into madness. When he first beats the baron and takes his carriage, there are logical explanations. Balduin has a new sense of confidence, which is one way to look at it. It wasn't until something happened later that I realized, it is supernatural. That scene was tense and I appreciated it. It is through these things as he tries to keep up with getting Julia's affection that we see him being corrupted and losing his innocence in the process.

Now something I found interesting here is that this film uses the doppelganger. That makes sense, because that word is German. Balduin can't look into mirrors after making the deal. There are great things that hide them and I wanted to give credit. Now I know that seeing your double is a bad omen. Balduin starts to see his and that contributes to his madness. What adds tension here is that he freaks out, there are others around him and they're confused since they don't see anything. That is something that gets under my skin and it was used effectively here. This is another way also exploring the concept of losing innocence as well with this menacing figure following as you try to free yourself.

That should be good for the story so let's shift over to the acting. At the heart of this is a character study of Balduin. I thought Walbrook was great here. He plays the role cool at first. It is the deeper that he goes after making the deal that he becomes maniac. I thought that was great. Wieck works as the object of his desires. She isn't given much to work with, but if that is her singing, she is talented. Loos was good as this menacing figure who gives Balduin what he wants but also starts his descent into madness. Fiedler works as this rich man who is the catalyst for Balduin to make the deal. Greyff was fine in her role as the one who truly loves Balduin, but there is the chase for Julia. The rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. Despite how early we are into cinema, I thought this did good. The best part would be the cinematography and framing. Showing this doppelganger was great. There are times that we see it and he doesn't. The more that this other version appears, the crazier that Balduin becomes. The in camera effects are limited, but bringing two versions of Balduin to life is something I'm a fan of. The soundtrack also fit what was needed, especially the diegetic singing in the world of the movie.

In conclusion, this was one that I was intrigued to check out and I'm glad that I did. This isn't an original story for major elements. At the heart of it, it is borrowing from Faust. What I like here though is that we get a modern take on that tale. The acting is good, especially Walbrook and Loos. The rest of the cast push Balduin to where he ends up. The cinematography and framing were good. This is well-made. I do like the deeper ideas and concepts that are explored. This is one that might not be seen as much since it is a foreign film from the 1930s. I'd recommend this if you're a fan of this era of filmmaking.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

This third version of THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE made in 1935 is pretty much faithful to the 1913 and 1926 versions except for some character and plot changes. The original story's premise is simple: A poor student (circa 1800's) named Balduin loves an aristocratic woman named Magrit but she's betrothed to Baron Waldis. Balduin signs a pact with Scapinelli who's interpreted to be the Devil in disguise by offering him 100,000 gold coins to woo the countess in exchange for anything in his room. Since Balduin as nothing of value, he figures what the hell and accepts the pact. Well that's what breaks loose when the stranger releases his reflection from a mirror and it's not too soon before the student's evil double makes his life a living hell by ruining his plans. The 1913 version starred Paul Wegener (1874-1948), best known for his GOLEM films, and you can watch a restored, tinted print on YouTube. The second version made in 1926 starred Conrad Veidt (1893-1943) as Balduin and Werner Krauss (1884-1959) as Scapinelli who has more to do here since Krauss became an important character actor since 1920's THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. This time Balduin is offered 600,000 florins, probably due to post-WW! inflation. This version has better production values and Veidt is shown more tormented by his mistake as only Veidt could do. Unfortunately there's only a terrible print shown on YouTube but you get the idea how good it would look given a proper restoration.

The 1935 version casts Adolf Wohlbruck (1896-1967), who was soon to become Anton Walbrook after he left Germany before his homosexuality and being half Jewish became a problem with the Nazis, as Balduin who's also a noted fencer as in previous versions. The character of the countess Margit is replaced with an opera singer named Julia played by Dorothea Wieck (1908-1986) best known as the teacher in 1931's MADCHEN IN UNIFORM. Her singing is dubbed by the opera singer Miliza Korjus (1909- 1980). Scapinelli becomes Dr. Carpis played by Theodor Loos (1883-1954), another well-known character actor who seems to be channeling Krauss. It's possible the villain Scapinelli's name was changed to Carpis because Germany didn't want to offend their fellow- Fascist friend Mussolini and his country. Carpis has more to do here than Scapinelli in earlier versions as he's now Julia's former lover who's jealous of the rich Baron, seen more as a fop here, and of Balduin's attention. When he shows up unexpectedly in her room and she asks where he came from, he answers with: "Where you are not... is Hell for me" making his character more figuratively a devil than literally as in the previous versions; later Balduin will call Carpis a "devil" in anger.

Carpis uses the Baron and Balduin to hurt Julia but this time there's no written contract with money and instead Balduin is given the power to make money by gambling. Instead of releasing Balduin's reflection, he imprisons Baldwin's good side, the "sentimental dreamer" inside the mirror by cloaking it to allow Balduin's bad side to take over. As in the earlier versions. both sides come face- to-face using camera tricks as his good side that escaped from the mirror silently pursues him to incense his actions while making him feel guilty with increasing madness. As in previous versions, when a duel prearranged to spare the Baron's life (not shown in other versions but only its aftermath) goes wrong, he's shunned by everyone. Balduin eventually realizes the extent of what he's become, and finally confronts his reflection in the mirror to free himself. Their final meeting is the film's highlight and one of Wohlbruck's best performances, and on a par with Veidt's baroque one.

THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE was the last film directed by Arthur Robison (1883-1935) who also directed 1923's Expressionistic classic WARNING SHADOWS that used no subtitles and let the story unfold through stunning imagery. There's some of that photography by Bruno Mondi (1903-1991) in STUDENT but not a lot because the Nazis mostly frowned on anything connected to the Weimar era when Mondi shot Fritz Lang's DESTINY (1921) also known as DER MUDE TOD and also 11 of Veit Harlan's films after STUDENT. Theo Mackeben's suspenseful Hollywood-style score gives the right menacing mood when needed; Mackeben ((1897-1953) was a versatile composer who also wrote operas. It's difficult to find contemporary reviews in English except for a mixed but mostly negative one from Graham Greene (1904-1991) who thought the film's allegory was "on the right side of imagination in an unimaginative industry" and praised Robison's trademark touches, "his slow decorative methods, the curious ballet-like quality he procured by the constant panning of his camera. But dull the film undoubtedly is: a curiosity, a relic of the classical German film of silent days.... The acting doesn't help" and he preferred Veidt's version. I heartily disagree about this STUDENT being dull and the acting not aiding the story, If you liked the previous versions, you should watch this one especially if you're a fan of Wohlbruck/Walbrook.

The story, photography, and Wohlbruck's performance will remind you of the 1949 English fantasy-horror film THE QUEEN OF SPADES where he plays a poor Russian soldier who sells his soul for financial gain and it's more than likely its director Thorold Dickenson remembered this STUDENT when he cast and made his film. For a Nazi-era film, STUDENT is free of propaganda and you can get a good copy with subtitles at: rarefilmsandmore.com

When dashing Prague student Balduin (Adolf Wohlbrück) claps eyes on beautiful opera singer Julia (Dorothea Wieck), he forgets all about Lydia, the innkeeper's pretty niece (Edna Greyff). Being a poor student, Balduin cannot compete with foppish Baron Waldis (Erich Fiedler), who lavishes the singer with expensive gifts. That's where mischievous Dr. Carpis (Theodor Loos) comes in...

An ex-lover of Julia's, who was most likely responsible for her success, Carpis tells Balduin that he can help the young man achieve his desires -- by ridding himself of the sentimental dreamer side of his personality; this Carpis does by covering up Balduin's mirror with a cloak. Free of his more idealistic self, Balduin now finds that he has a 'lucky hand', making himself a small fortune by gambling. Now he has the financial means to woo Julia, but he angers Baron Waldis in doing so, which results in the pair engaging in a duel.

Balduin also finds himself haunted by visions of his former sentimental self, who reminds him of what he has sacrificed to achieve his goals. Gradually, he loses his sanity. To end the madness, he must confront his good side, no matter what the final cost.

The third movie to be based on the novel The Student of Prague by Hanns Heinz Ewers, this one apparently changes a few characters and details, but the Faustian theme remains the same: Carpis is, for all intents and purposes, The Devil, out to corrupt another innocent soul for his own amusement. The film doesn't exactly say as such, but the clues are there, most notably when Balduin repeatedly throws 6,6,6 with three dice. The basic plot is an oldie, but a goodie, and this version does it well, with plenty of energy in the opening scenes, decent performances all round, especially from Wohlbrück and Wieck, and a suitably bittersweet ending, Balduin regaining his sentimentality, but at a price.