By NathanEdwardPriem
You strange illusionist! Let us see more of your arts!
This is the prequel to the lost film “The Golem” (1915) and a part of one of horror’s first franchises.
It features gorgeous cinematography and lavish German-expressionist style sets.
German Expressionist films influenced some of my favorite directors and films and you can clearly see why, it’s an amazing style. (I saw shots in this film which reminded me of Eraserhead and Dark City (1998).)
The film features beautiful scenery, silly hats, expressive acting, heightened reality, and JEW MAGIC™!
Director Paul Wegener also plays the titular Golem in a masterfully acted role suggesting barely restrained strength and deftly altering between moods as diverse as docile servitude, naive childishness, and demonic malice. (Even though he sometimes moves like Paul Wight.)
Rabbi Loew’s daughter Miriam played by Wegener’s real life wife Lyda Salmonova is a mesmerizing vision of beauty who haunts every frame she’s in.
I don’t know if the plea for religious tolerance is well thought out since the Jews are literally performing Black Magic by summoning a demon like the Holy Roman Emperor says even if it’s for a good reason and portrayed sympathetically.
I know it’s a spin on the apocryphal tale of Solomon binding demons to build the Jewish temple for him but still…
The film clearly influenced horror going forward with Frankenstein (1931) taking many ideas and visual ques from it. (If your going to borrow, borrow from the best!)
It boggles the mind this film is 115 years old and holds up this well.
There is a little bit of awkwardness at the beginning when Rabbi Loew divines the stars at the start of the movie and reveals that the Jewish community are facing “severe harm” and “an impending calamity”. (Since when!?!)
Keep in mind this film was made in 1920 in Germany…
The scenes with Florian and Miriam radiate sensuality through silent acting in something that’s more erotic than nudity.
They actually show them in bed together too!
One of my favorite scenes is the summoning of Astaroth.
It’s eerily beautiful and a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of the early filmmakers that they would create such an evocative sequence that it would make me feel such emotion over one hundred years later!
Another visually breathtaking scene is Rabbi Loew’s projection of Jewish history at the Holy Roman Emperor’s court.
…though I have absolutely no idea why everyone found the Wandering Jew hilarious. (Perhaps it’s an old joke with the context lost to time.)
The large scale destruction of the ending is also breathtaking.
If you want to watch the movie it’s in the Public Domain and free on YouTube.
I liked it so much though I ordered the Kino Lorber Classic Version on Blu-Ray!
My Score-
95/100
A masterclass in filmmaking that should be a must watch for all film buffs!
I’m still processing the film but I think it is one of the top three (at least!) silent films I have ever seen, one of the best pre-1940s movies I’ve ever watched, and one of the best films I have seen period!
Please go out of your way to see this one!
Until then I’m Nathan Edward Priem and that…was something else.