1913
Directed by Stellan Rye and Paul Wegener
The Student of Prague is an early German horror film that contains a basic retelling of the classic Faustian tale. It involves a poor student named Balduin becoming completely obsessed with a countess. He ends up making a deal with a sorcerer named Scapinelli to give everything he desires, including great wealth. In return, he must sign a contract. You can figure out where the plot goes from there. The film is notable for several different reasons. First, it contained some very prominent special effects that were considered quite extraordinary for the era. The most famous is where Balduin shares the screen with a double of himself. Also, Scapinelli is an incredibly important figure in the development of horror films. He was one of the first characters who would seduce the protagonist with deals and bargains instead of defeating him with demons and infernal magic. It was due largely in part to this film that the entire trope of
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