in this truly fascinate and dark film and a young impoverished student sell his soul to the devil for a lot of money and in return the devil take his mirror image ( this be do brilliantly in the movie and eerily presage when balduin and the student be earlier practice swordsmanship in front of the mirror ) and a visual metaphor for a man at war with himself which portents his immediate future . the student enjoy his money and but the woman he love be unattainable ( he have make a pact with the devil and he be cut off forever from love and other rich of the soul ) you can have love or you can exchange your soul for money and you can not have both . balduin be haunt by his double ( the intertitles express this beautifully a do the action . some of the scene be incredible and the sense of doom when the devil disappear with balduin mirror image be amazing and a be the sense that his pact have forever cut him off from human society ( the scene where he run away from his double and end up in the wasteland at the edge of the town and no longer entirely human ( he have lose his soul ) he be like a hunt animal outside of human society . there be so many other thing to say about this incredible film . paul wegener be an amazing actor and director and a cultural hero of mine . it help if you know a bit about german history at the time this film be make and about german doppelganger tradition ( do not google it and get a proper book ) just remember and it a very early film and it a little clumsy at time and but consider what it have to say and it tragic finale and it one of the best ever ( yes it be . ) .