Director: Carl Boese & Paul Wegener, Supervising Director: Ernst Lubitsch, Script: Wegener& Henrik Galeen, Cast: Albert Steinruck, Paul Wegener, Lyda Salmanova, Lother Muthel
This is one of the earliest of the German expressionist horror films. It came out at the same year as the more famous Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Good movie but not quite up their with either Nosferatu or Dr. Caligari. This movie is about Rabbi Loew and his creation, the golem. Afer he consults in the astrology of the stars, Rabbi Loew learns that the Jews are about to face persecution from the emperor of Prague. To protect the Jewish people, the Rabbi makes a golem out of clay and has him brought to life through the spirit Astaroth with a magic word in a star placed on his chest. The Jews are saved from persecution from the emperor because the golem saves him from a falling room at his palace. During another astrological consolation, the rabbi learns that he must deactivate his creation before the golem does harm to his own people. It just so happens that the rabbi's daughter is romantically involved with the emperor's knight. The rabbi's assistant, Famulus, becomes jealous of the knight so he revives the golem to destroy him but the golem purses Miriam (rabbi's daughter) instead. Much like the famous scene in Frankenstein, the golem comes upon a little girl. The girl pulls the star from the golem deactivating him.
This film is one of the major horror films of the German silent era. As such, it is one of the best films made during this time after the works of F.W. Murnau (Nosreratu, Faust) and Fritz Lang (Metropolis). Paul Wagener plays the part of the golem and also co-directed this film. He had made another version of this film around 1914 which I believe is lost. The first film was set in the modern day of the 1910's whereas this film was set in the 16th century. He was given a larger budget to work with for this film. Consequently, the cinematographer was the legendary Karl Freund. The Kino version of this film has all the original colour tinting. Henrik Galeen who co-wrote the screenplay also wrote the script for Nosreratu. I would recommend this classic early horror film which was really a predecessor to Frankenstein. I believe this is based on a very old Jewish legend.
This is one of the earliest of the German expressionist horror films. It came out at the same year as the more famous Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Good movie but not quite up their with either Nosferatu or Dr. Caligari. This movie is about Rabbi Loew and his creation, the golem. Afer he consults in the astrology of the stars, Rabbi Loew learns that the Jews are about to face persecution from the emperor of Prague. To protect the Jewish people, the Rabbi makes a golem out of clay and has him brought to life through the spirit Astaroth with a magic word in a star placed on his chest. The Jews are saved from persecution from the emperor because the golem saves him from a falling room at his palace. During another astrological consolation, the rabbi learns that he must deactivate his creation before the golem does harm to his own people. It just so happens that the rabbi's daughter is romantically involved with the emperor's knight. The rabbi's assistant, Famulus, becomes jealous of the knight so he revives the golem to destroy him but the golem purses Miriam (rabbi's daughter) instead. Much like the famous scene in Frankenstein, the golem comes upon a little girl. The girl pulls the star from the golem deactivating him.
This film is one of the major horror films of the German silent era. As such, it is one of the best films made during this time after the works of F.W. Murnau (Nosreratu, Faust) and Fritz Lang (Metropolis). Paul Wagener plays the part of the golem and also co-directed this film. He had made another version of this film around 1914 which I believe is lost. The first film was set in the modern day of the 1910's whereas this film was set in the 16th century. He was given a larger budget to work with for this film. Consequently, the cinematographer was the legendary Karl Freund. The Kino version of this film has all the original colour tinting. Henrik Galeen who co-wrote the screenplay also wrote the script for Nosreratu. I would recommend this classic early horror film which was really a predecessor to Frankenstein. I believe this is based on a very old Jewish legend.