Playing God
(originally posted on IMDb 4 October 2005)

"The Golem: How He Came Into the World" is one of the early masterpieces of Weimar silent cinema, which is often (mis)categorized under the umbrella of German "expressionism." Paul Wegener had made a modern version of the Jewish legend in 1915 (which is lost, although some on IMDb have confused it with this 1920 film) and a sequel in 1917 (also lost), and his 1913 version of "The Student of Prague" is an interesting, although statically filmed, early horror fantasy, which is also based in literary tradition and set in Prague.

Inspired by Siegfried Kracauer ("From Carlgari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film"), much of the writing on the subject of Weimar cinema has connected the films with Nazism and the rise of anti-Semitism, and many have discussed this film in that light, but that view has probably been taken far enough. "The Golem" is set in historical, although mythologized, past anti-Semitism, and Jewish mystical folklore--a much different situation than in the twentieth century. "The Golem" isn't anti-Semitic, anyhow.

In the film, Rabbi Loew reads in the stars that danger threatens his community. He subsequently gives life to the clay Golem, which is to serve him in reversing a decree that the Jews evacuate Prague. As others have mentioned, the Golem is a precursor of the creation of the robot in "Metropolis" (1927) (both films also contain a vision (moving pictures) scene projected by religious leaders) and of scenes in "Frankenstein" (1931). Some have even speculated that Mary Shelley's original novel was largely inspired by the Golem stories. Moreover, the film is another in a strand of German pictures with fantastic and horrific themes based in literature and folklore.

"The Golem" is rather representative of its times as far as camera-work and editing, which is to say it's adequate and unremarkable. Being post-"Caligari," lighting is used somewhat effectively and the sets by Hans Poelzig, Kurt Richter and Edgar G. Ulmer (who notably worked on many of Fritz Lang's films) are amazing, but unique from the less dimensional and tactile and more theatrical ones in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) and, it should be noted, not expressionistic. There are, however, irregular contours, and things are askew, as in Expressionism. The sets also reflect the narrative. Architecture made out of clay and a Golem out of clay. Yet, rather than coming from theatre as those in "Caligari", the sets in "The Golem" are more Gothic and exploit clay wonderfully. And, it makes for a visually splendid picture.