They were collected by Lotte H. Eisner, German film historian living in France, who documented for the Cinémathèque works of the most important Filmarchitekte of the German expressionist cinema.

The film has come to be regarded as a classic of German expressionist cinema and along with two of his later films, The Student of Prague (1926) and Alraune (1928), serves as the basis for Galeen's high reputation.

His use of location shooting, natural lighting, and lay actors stood in total contrast to the older expressionist cinema.

In Germany as well, directors such as G. W. Pabst turned away from the expressionist cinema that Fritz Lang had exemplified.

Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 - 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema.

His mystical novel, The Messiah of the House of Ephraim, draws together many strands of Jewish folklore and apocalyptic belief, presenting them from a perspective that owes much to German expressionist cinema.

He knew silent movies well and perhaps had been influenced by their emphasis on dramatic moments and even, possibly, by expressionist cinema.

Studio filming and post-production took place in Berlin, and film historians observe the influence on the finished product of the German expressionist cinema of the era, notably the celebrated The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Recalling the historical formats of early silent films, the melodramatic style of Yiddish theatre, and the drama of 1920s German expressionist cinema, Antin creates a fictional artifact that simulates a culture of individuals and lifestyles that have since perished.