Der Golem (1920) – Film Review

Director: Paul Wegener
Cast: Paul Wegener, Albert Steinruck, Lyda Salmonova
Certificate: PG

by Sarah Morgan

The Golem or, to give it its full title The Golem: How He Came Into the World, is one of the most famous and influential silent movies ever made, and it’s easy to see why.

Co-directed by Paul Wegener (who also plays the title role) and Carl Boese, it was originally the final film in a trilogy. Its predecessors, The Golem (1915) and The Golem and the Dancing Girl (1917), are both lost. Rumours surface from time to time that copies have been found, but so far only a few minutes are known for definite to exist.

Indeed this take on the legend – which, if it were an entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, would be known as an origin story – only relatively recently added more footage to its running time. For years, it was only available in a shorter form but, in 2017, a fully restored version was created, and it’s now being released on Blu-ray.

“Destructive rage”

The story takes place in 16th century Prague, where a tyrannical emperor is making the lives of the local Jewish population a misery. As a result, Rabbi Low decides to create a Golem, a mythological figure made from clay and brought to life by a magical amulet placed in the centre of its chest – the only way to stop him is to remove it.

The Golem begins his ‘life’ as a heroic figure, carrying out numerous good deeds (he even goes shopping, complete with wicker basket, in an unintentionally hilarious scene), but when the Rabbi’s assistant tries to use him for his own devious ends, everything goes horribly wrong.

In a destructive rage the creature wreaks havoc, leaving fire and death in his wake and an encounter with local children looks set to end in either tragedy or triumph.

“Pioneering”

Incredibly stylish (there’s a scene involving the summoning up of the demon Astaroth that is undeniably creepy), The Golem has obvious parallels with James Whale’s great 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein. Lovers of classic horror will enjoy spotting key moments that have inspired film-makers ever since; there is certainly much to learn from this pioneering masterpiece.

Special features include an audio commentary by critic Scott Harrison and video essays by David Cairns and Jon Spira, while the film itself can be viewed with a choice of three different scores.