A statue of guilt outlives the love that birthed it — and it wants its due.
An art student in love with her instructor poses for his sculpture. She leaves him and the world of art when she finds out he is married. The statue, created with purpose of symbolizing guilt, comes back to haunt her.
Acting
Henny Porten's face does what intertitles cannot.
Production
The guilt-statue as actual character — silent cinema at its most symbolic.
Director
Rudolf Biebrach
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Henny Porten was German cinema's biggest star; her production company backed this film, giving her unusual creative control for the era.
The 'guilt statue' trope echoes the era's fascination with wax figures and uncanny doubles — think Weimar cinema's later obsession with artificial bodies in 'The Man Who Laughs' and 'Metropolis'.
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