The Burning Soil

The Burning Soil German Der brennende Acker is a 1922 German silent film directed by F.W. Murnau. It was made the same year as Murnaus Nosferatu and released in Germany around the same time. The film follows tells the story of a struggle over a plot of petroleumrich land.

Devils Field is a cursed place, that scares the entire population of a small village of Silesia, because an ancestor of the family Rudenburg perished there victim of a mysterious explosion while digging a well in search of a buried treasure. Count von Rudenburg, current title holder, is also searching for the treasure, without result. He lives in his castle with his second wife, Helga, and a daughter from a first marriage, capricious Gerda.In the nearby village, an old peasant, Rog, dies leaving two sons, Peter, very attached to the family land, and ambitious Johannes who thinks he is too good to live a peasants life. He becomes secretary to Count von Rudenburg and starts courting his daughter. One day, he overhears that the Count has found an oilfield under Devils Field. Shortly after, the Count, who is terminally ill, dictates him his will according to which his daughter Gerda will inherit his entire estate including all properties, manors and castles, while his second wife Helga will only inherit Devils Field. Johannes then tells Helga she is the one he is in love with. He marries her after the Counts death. ........

Source: Wikipedia