Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Looked at in an historical context "The Golem" is a remarkable film. Made in Germany in 1920 it is about the persecution of the Jewish people but centuries earlier. Was it popular with Hitler and the Nazi High Command? Perhaps, since this is about the creation of a giant creature called The Golem whose initial purpose is to help the Jews but whose activities turn nefarious as the film progresses. It is, therefore, one of the first monster movies and while in no way frightening is as much as genre classic as James Whale's "Frankenstein", (the similarities are manifold).The Golem is played by Paul Wegener, who co-directed the film with Carl Boese, and visually this is one of the great medieval pictures, (the DoP was the great Karl Freund). It is designed in a fairy-tale fashion, each image looking as if it was conjured from the pages of a very old book. Yes, it does have a touch of the 'Penny Dreadfuls' about it but that only adds to its strange charm. Seldom revived, it is, nevertheless, a classic that really ought to be seen.

The giant frame of Paul Wegener as the Golem is one of the best known characters from the silent era, and one of the first icons of horror. Der Golem is actually the third film to feature the character, the first being The Golem (1915), and the second The Golem And The Dancing Girl (1917), which is a short comedy with Wegener donning the costume to frighten a girl he is in love with. Tragically, those two films are now considered lost, and only fragments equalling about 14 minutes of the first film remain. This film is actually a prequel, and it's full title is Der Golem: Wie Er In Die Welt Kam (How He Came Into The World), but is now commonly know as simply Der Golem.The Jews of medieval Prague face persecution from the townsfolk. Terrified of their doomed fate, Rabbi Loew (Albert Steinruck) uses his skills in black magic to create The Golem, a mythical figure from Jewish folklore. He is made entirely from clay, and has an amulet in his chest that gives him power, and when removed turns him back into lifeless clay. He is initially used as a servant, and then to terrify the townsfolk who are threatening them. The Golem eventually gets tired of being used as a tool of fear and begins to turn on his creator, and starts to lay waste to the Ghetto.Like the majority of films made in Weimar Germany, the film has an expressionist tone, with lavish, artistic sets that dominate the frame. Similar in feel to the great Das Cabinet Des Dr. Caligari, it is however more subtle in its artistic flair, and lacks Caligari's rickety (although wonderful in its own way) sets. It is also quite terrifying in its realisation of a segregation that would occur in the country only a decade later, although it does portray the Jews as vengeful and as studying the dark arts.The Golem itself is a great movie monster. Tragic in the same way as Frankenstein's monster, he is brought into the world without having asked to be, and is expected to carry out terrible acts against his will. Paul Wagener portrays him with all silent intensity and uncontrollable rage, with his towering frame sending his enemies running for the hills. He also impressively co-wrote and co-directed the film. This is an enjoyable film that breezes by in its rather slight running time, and can be forgiven for some over-acting and the occasional tedious scene. It also has some interesting social comments, and is a frightening prelude to one of the most horrific periods in Europe's history.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Monday January 26, 7:00pm, The Paramount, SeattleIn sixteenth century Prague, the Emperor declares that all Jews will be banished from the city. A rabbi using magical powers creates a man made of earth to protect his people and summons a demon to give the ‘Golem’ (Paul Wegener) life. When the Emperor is saved by the creature, he rescinds his edict, but the Golem is abused by the rabbi’s assistant and embarks on a rampage of terror in the ghetto.Told in the manner of a folk tale, The Golem: How He Came Into the World (1920) features an abundant use of complex lighting, dramatic composition and striking design elements with Gothic overtones. Remade from a story Wegener brought to the screen in 1914 which is now considered lost, The Golem was a recognizable influence on Hollywood, while it offered proof of his skill as a filmmaker and established Wegener’s role in the development of German Expressionism.

The moment I first saw this film I knew it was a classic. The visuals are excellent. The story is old as time. The basic story is the country their in, Prague I think, wants to evict the Hebrews out. Anti semitism was unfortunately a way of life back then. Using force if necessary. But of course they don't want to leave. Desperate for a solution, they call upon some dark forces to bring up the golem. But things go awry and they are soon protecting themselves from their protector. It's a classic creation turning against the creator story. If you can find the kino versio of the DVD, buy it. you'll be better off. The visuals are a good portion of why this is a good film. Nosferatu and Cabinet of Dr. caligari usually take all the credit for German expressionism, but this more than holds up to those films.