Customer Reviews

The Golem (Restored Authorized Edition)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My love affair with silent films began with "The Golem". I was introduced to this movie on a wintry January night, with the lights off. The flickering images, the "Brandenburg Concerto" soundtrack, and the film's angular sets, left a lasting impression on me, and it wasn't long before I started dreaming in black and white with a classical score. I watched it again this year, at midnight on Halloween, and was captivated all over again.<...

The story of the Golem is timeless (it even made a recent appearance in "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay"). The creature is brought to life from clay to protect the inhabitants of a medieval Jewish community from destruction at the hands of the Emperor. But the prophecies from which he's born also foresee his turning against his creators, and those are of course fulfilled when the Rabbi's daughter carries on an affair with the Emperor's knight. The Golem's death is a stunning moment, coming from a most unexpected pair of hands.

The look of the film (if you can discern it on VHS) is remarkable. The village's homes and towers are stark angular shapes, jutting up against a starry night sky. The appearance of the demon Astaroth, who reveals the Golem's secrets, is remarkably realized, as are the words that form from his breath.

The legend changes with each telling, but the core details should be familiar to most, and are echoed in many other sources down through history (the "Frankenstein" parallels are easy to see). If you can secure a good print of this movie (or even if you can't), the images will stay with you for a long time.

THE GOLEM is one of those movies that many people have seen stills from or have read about but up until now have not the opportunity to see it as it was intended to be seen. Copies of it have been around for years but as was often the case with silent films until recently, it was available only in poor quality prints projected at the wrong speed with inappropriate or no music background at all. This new Kino DVD remedies that situation and is likely to be the best edition we're likely to see for some time.

The story concerns a Jewish ghetto in 16th century Prague which is saved by the creation of a clay man who is brought to life and becomes their protector. After his task is finished, he refuses to return to clay and runs amok until he is finally vanquished by the hands of a child. This is a remake of an earlier film which also featured writer and co-director Paul Wegener as the creature. Much of the Golem legend would be used by Mary Shelley in FRANKENSTEIN and this movie would be recycled by James Whale and Boris Karloff for the famous 1931 film. It is fascinating to watch this film today not only for its highly stylised sets and striking cinematography but also for its positive portrayal of Jewish life which was possible in 1920 Germany but not 13 years later.

This is by far and away the best version of this film that I have seen. It is still a little washed out in places but the restored tinting helps to minimize that. Most of the print is sharp and clear with the stylised details quite vivid especially in the ghetto scenes. The newly composed soundtrack by Aljoscha Zimmermann incorporates Jewish melodies with folk dance material and is very effective. This is one of four new releases in Kino's German Horror Classics series that also features authorized versions of CABINET OF DR CALIGARI (a knockout), NOSFERATU, and the rarely seen WAXWORKS. They can be obtained seperately or all together in a box set. If you are one of the ever growing number of silent movie fans then this movie, indeed this set, is a must.

Wow.
Even on budget dvd (spotty print quality, meaningless background music) watching Paul Wegener's 1920 THE GOLEM is quite an experience.
It's 16th century Prague and the stars imply, and the Emperor impels, an eviction of the ghetto Jews. Their crimes - practicing the black arts, despising Holy Christian ceremonies, etc. In desperation Rabbi Loew, nominal leader of the ghetto, invokes the dread spirit Astaroth to reveal the magic word that will bring the Golem to life.
The Golem is a large clay figure in the form of a man. This faithful servant of Rabbi Loew's possesses superhuman strength and seems invulnerable - daggers bend and break rather than penetrate its skin. It accompanies Rabbi Loew to the Emperor's palace on a mission to have the edict revoked, and the Golem is instrumental in accomplishing that goal.
Of course, the movie reminds us of the dictum that should be engraved on the hearts of all mad scientists everywhere - "If you have brought the dead to life through magic, beware that life." The last third of the movie shows what happens when Man's creation stop obeying the will of their creators.
For me, the big hurdle to clear when watching silent movies is to realize they're NOT over acting. Without sound, emotions have to be expressed with some exaggeration. If you're afraid, eyes pop and mouth gapes and curled fingers cover your face. With sound that type of acting looks ridiculous. This is the second silent movie I've watched recently, and it's getting easier. The acting here is fine.
It's amazing how familiar everything looks. The sets, with walls cantered at weird angles and their organic architecture (there's a spiral stone staircase that seems to have been carved from standing rock), would fit comfortably in a Tim Burton movie. I've seen the painted starscape and arched gables in Charles Laughton's NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. The Golem busts down the ghetto gate just like King Kong, and confronts the little blonde girl in the same manner as Karloff did in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN.
I imagine all this was a lot scarier then than it is now, but it's still well worth everyone's time. If the score and print quality had been higher, I would have given this one five stars.

The cinematography in this movie is STUNNING. One feels as though one were a captive in an alternate dimension of reality; an almost Lovecraftian world where the very geometry of the buildings seems to writhe and come to life. The atmosphere of Budapest in the Middle Ages seems to be captured perfectly. After the Jews being ousted from the town by royal decree, the leader of the Jewish community crafts the Golem out of clay and brings him to life in a black magical ceremony (interesting to note that among the crimes accused of the Jews in the edict, one was witchcraft). The Golem then is brought before the king and results in the Jews being allowed to remain. But the Golem falls in love(!) with a young lady and runs amok. The story is a classic and there is a considerable amount of drama here, but the real gem of this movie are the incredible visuals and the atmosphere. One of the greatest expressionist classics ever made. Far superior to "Caligari" in my opinion.

In considering silent films to be shown in our church sanctuary accompanied by pipe organ, I recommended this film because of the weighty issues it exposes. The "Frankenstein" theme--humankind's limitations in controlling life we create--is more relevant today than in 16th century Prague or 19th century England. Genetic manipulation brings forth moral, ethical, and religious questions. But there is much more to "Der Golem".

One of the fascinating subtleties of this film is the use of symbolic imagery. For instance, note that the six-pointed Star of David is used when religious practices are depicted and five-pointed stars are used for occult practices. The Burtonesque structures that seem on the verge of keeling over imbue the ghetto with a vague sense of unease and disjointedness that mirrors the social disconnectedness of the golem. Themes of redemption, purity, reconciliation, and childlike belief are evident. I was also impressed by the respectful treatment of the Jews and their religious practices in this film.

The intensely emotional expressions in the clay face of the golem convincingly portray the wrenching and rending of the fabric of a personality that longs to live and move among humans and will never be able to do so. The golem is never portrayed as evil himself, but rather as the product of, in modern terms, bad genes and emotional deprivation. I do not consider this to be a true horror film, because I think it was intended, through the portrait of a "lost soul", to cause viewers examine their own perceptions of themselves and others.

I orignally gave four stars because of the lousy score in the Gotham Distribution release, which is a ten- or fifteen-minute loop of music that is totally inappropriate to the scenarios. I have since purchased the Kino release and found the score to be sensitive to the emotional breadth of the movie and evocative of Jewish ghetto life, the frivolity of the court, and nuances of scene through use of musical motifs. I still hope to someday see this film accompanied by a world-class organist on a world-class organ.

THE GOLEM is a landmark in filmmaking because it was the very first of the silents, after Edison's long-lost and sought after production of FRANKENSTEIN in 1910 to present to the cinema the art of camera movement to provide suspense and horror. A movement very popularly mesmerizing through German Expressionism. Seeing this film to mind brings comparisons to the later FRANKENSTEIN films which no doubt had a strong influence on James Whale. There were actual rumors that for Bela Lugosi's screen test for the Monster he was built heavily of clay, and had a wig very much resembling Paul Wegener's Golem.

This DVD is much better than the three pack of Golem/Caligari/Nosferatu released several years ago, because like the individual DVD releases of Caligari and Nosferatu (with the curious exception of Metropolis) the film's actual tints and title cards are restored, thus viewers are able to see what they initially missed through earlier VHS releases.

Paul Wegener's Golem is very much portrayed as a precursor to Karloff's Frankenstein Monster. Hulking, sympathetic, misunderstanding, easily crossed, and feared by all except children. The films imagery is remarkable with the astrological symbols and sights of the stars in the sky, making the film atmospherical and at the same time suspenseful. The scene in which Rabbi Loew (Albert Steinruck) harbors black magic by spawning a ring of fire about him whilst spelling the magic words of ASTAROTH is still spellbinding after 80 years.

Legends of creatures made from clay are as old as recorded history. These were artificial men made of clay or mud, which was brought to life when the name of God is pronounced over it. Some stories say that it is then able to understand orders and is just great for doing housework. Others say that it can be used as a frightening type of bodyguard. Either way, it seemed that if you had a pet golem, there would be trouble right around the corner. On its' forehead is written the Jewish word EMETH, which means "truth". Every day the golem would become bigger and bigger, and heavier and heavier. Finally it would become a nuisance, if not a downright danger, to have it around the house. So the first letter of the word on his forehead must be rubbed out. The inscription now would read METH, which now would mean "he is dead". The golem would collapse and turn into clay once again. One story w䁡s told of a golem that grew so tall and large that its' master could not reach its forehead to rub out the magic letter. So the golem was ordered to take off its shoes. When it bent over to do this, its' master quickly erased the first letter. Unfortunately the golem turned into a huge lump of clay and fell on top of its' master, thereby crushing him to death. Rabbi Loew has a different method by simply snatching the magical symbol from the Golem's chest.

For those of you who own the recent VHS releases and want to know the name of the beautiful music piece heard throughout the film, it is "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Minor" composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Karl Freund and Edgar G. Ulmer (who later directed the 1934 classic THE BLACK CAT) give the film their usual fantastic photography to the film. Lyda Salmonova is still an eye opener as Miriam, and look fast for Greta Schroeder (who appeared later as Ellen in NOSFERATU) as a flower girl.

I first saw The Golem when I was 12 and have loved it ever since. At the time I had to go to the public library, and borrow an actual film reel, and watch it inside their film vault, because this was not only before the DVD, but even before the VCR became so prevalent. I've always been a fan of the old Univeral studio horror movies, and I wanted to see how The Golem might have influenced Frankenstein. I found that the costume and makeup may have been influential, but little else, other than minor plot points. The key to the Frankenstein film was that the monster became murderous because of a damaged brain, and in the source novel because he was tormented by society. It's questionable whether a clay statue even has a brain to damage, and he certainly wasn't tormented. As he did his daily chores around the village, people seemed to be used to his presence. So there was no torchlit chase scene to cap the movie either.

The Golem's costume with its padded up bulk, although Paul Wegener was a big man already, and his huge boots, clearly were echoed in Frankenstein. Some photos of Hamilton Deane in the Peggy Webling play Frankenstein (that the movie was based on) suggested a makeup inspired by The Golem. However, some of the appearance, especially the built up forehead, seemed to be already present in Thomas Edison's 1910 version of Frankenstein, with Charles Ogle. Edward Van Sloan compared Bela Lugosi's monster makeup, in a test reel for the part of the monster, as being very much like the Golem. Lugosi was described as having a polished clay-like skin and broad wig that made his head a bit large. Since Lugosi designed much of his own makeup with Jack Pierce's help, Pierce's claim about all the research he did for Karloff's make-up sounds like hot-air. Although there are no pictures of Lugosi's makeup, it sounds like all Pierce did was give the monster a haircut, and put in the electrodes and stitches the script called for.

The only other places where one might see a similarity between The Golem and Frankenstein was in the scenes between the monster and girls. The Golem fell for Rabbi Lowe's grown daughter, and was destroyed by a little girl named Maria. Karloff's monster seemed to be always eloping by force, and of course he killed a little girl named Maria. The Rabbi had an assistant, but Frankenstein worked alone in the novel, but had an assistant named Fritz in the movie, a character that appeared in some form in the play, which is unfortunately now out of print. Of course most people remember the assistant's name as Ygor now, because of the broken necked shepherd Bela Lugosi played in The Son of Frankenstein and The Ghost of Frankenstein.

Although there are legends about Rabbi Lowe and his Golem, only the Rabbi is historical, and some Golem legends made another Rabbi the creator. But nevertheless the movie is good historical spectacle, and moves remarkably fast for a silent movie.

"The Golem" (1920 - 85 minutes), a mute film photographed in black & white, was written and directed by Paul Wegener that also was the star of this classic movie of the German Expressionism. Golem is a clay being - a myth of a Jewish medieval legend - that gains life when Loew, a rabbi and astronomer of Prague, in the XIV century, finds a magical formula in an old book of Cabala. One of the most relevant moment in the film is when the clay "monster", created to protect the Jews against anti-semitic attacks, manifests affective feelings for a little girl. Paul Wegener had taken for two times the myth of the Golem to the cinema, and this movie was the most beautiful form. More recently, the legend of the Golem was rewrite by two great authors: Isaac Bashevis Singer, that published the book "The Golem" in 1982, and Elie Wiesel, that also wrote a book with the same heading. "The Golem" have influenced many Hollywood productions and certainly will inspire other writers of future generations.


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The Golem is a terrific film from the silent era. The story is compelling, the setting is marvellous, and the look of the film overall is perfect for a story such as this. I won't bore everyone with a summary, but merely say that this film is for anyone who likes gothic horrors/thillers and maybe has an interest in reliogious issues.
Kino's DVD is the finest version of the film yet. Not all films are given the treatment that Metropilis recently got, but the restoration done of The Golem is quite nice. I can't say I care much for the colour tinting, but that's a small quibble. The music composed for the film is appropriate, but not great. Certainly not as good as the very fine scores written by Timothy Brock for Kino's releases of Faust and The Last Laugh - I wonder what he could have done.
In any case, The Golem is worth adding to your collection if you like silent classics and supernatural thillers. I wouldn't rank it as high as Lang or Murnau's work, but it IS a terrific film.

This 1921 version of "The Golem" ("Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam") is a remake of a 1915 silent film. In both the Golem is played by Paul Wegener, who also played the title character in the 1917 "The Golem and the Dancing Girl" ("Der Golem und die Tänzerin"). The Jewish legend of the goldem is set this time around in 16th century Prague, which is supposedly when Rabbi Loew (Albert Steinrück) created the giant golem from clay to defend the Jews from the persecution by the local despot. However, the rabbi's assistant, Famulus (Ernst Deutsch) takes control of the golem and sends it forth to do his nefarious bidding, which includes abducting the beautiful Miriam (Lyda Salmonova), the Rabbi's beloved daughter. However, the Golem's will can not be perverted in such a manner. Much is made of "The Golem" being one of the first monster movies, and certainly this film incorporates a lot of elements that would become basic components of a lot of classic horror films. But I think "The Golem" deserves to be considered the first superhero film. After all, the creature was not created to be a monster, but to be a heroic figure of deliverance, and I would suggest that is the more important reading of the film in the long run.

None of this detracts from the point that "The Golem" is a classic silent monster movie, that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with "Nosferatu" and "The Phantom of the Opera." I would agree that "The Golem" is a lesser example of German expressionism; certainly it is not as textbook as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" or "Nosferatu." Certainly Wegner, his figure esconced in "clay," is not capable of over emoting in any way. This leads me to another coment: Granted, there are strong similarities between the Golem and Karloff's performance in "Frankenstein" and it would not be surprising if Karloff had seen this silent film. But I would like to point out that the shuffling movements of both performances are logical consequences of being either a figure made out of clay or reanimated dead body parts. Karloff was a fine enough actor to have figured this out, even without the inspiration offered by this film.

Ultimately, I am more concerned over the attempts to make a political reading of the film, premised on the fact that this is a German film (read "proto-Nazi"). In terms of the film this idea is premised on the contrast between the shabby, dark-haired children of the Jewish ghetto shown throughout most of the film with the happy, blonde-haired children that surround the Golem at the end. For the latter, of course, there is a temptation to read the children as being Aryan and to comment on the irony of the impending Holocaust given such the visual oxymoron. But the simpler explanation to me is the contrast between the dark and the light as reflecting the oppressive Dionysian part of the film with its happier Apollian conclusion. Besides, I would have a hard time arguing a film where the main characters are Jewish can be rightly characterized as Anti-Semetic. The film employs stereotypes, but that was a cultural commonplace that extended beyond Jews at that time in popular culture (cf. the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs). Certainly the Emperor Luhois (Otto Gebühr) is a stereotypical despot.

There are lots of ways of reading "The Golem," so in the final analysis the important thing would be that you see it for yourself and make up your own mind on these issues. I think that however you read this film, it will end up high on your list for silent films in this genre.