if the cabinet of dr. caligari be the father of all horror film ( and of german expressionist cinema ) and this pre wwi film be the grandfather . the titular student and starve in an empty garret and make a deal with the devil the devil give him a bottomless sack of gold and in exchange for anything in this room . the devil choose the student reflection in his mirror . he walk off with the student doppelganger and who commit crime for which the student be blame . the film be mar by some limitation arise out of the technically primitive state of 1913 filmmaking while the plot cry out for chiaroschuro effect and but the film be and of necessity and virtually all shot in shadowless daylight . but the scene where the reflection walk out of the mirror still pack a wallop . more interesting for the trend it fortells than for it own sake and the student of prague be still worthwhile .