The Golem: How He Came Into the World

This 1920 expressionist film by German filmmakers Paul Wegener and Carl Boes is one of the classics of German silent cinema. In the film section, we present it in a remastered digital version from 2018.

In 16th century Prague, a Jewish rabbi reads from the stars that his nation is in danger. He decided to create a giant man out of clay – the Golem. In the beginning, the Golem was his master’s devoted servant. He even saved the life of the Emperor himself. As a token of his gratitude, the emperor revoked the decree expelling the Jews from the city. The Rabbi decided to destroy the Golem, since his help would no longer be needed. Moreover, the Golem was in danger of rebelling against his master if the planets were not aligned properly. Before the Rabbi could destroy the Golem, however, the Rabbi’s fickle assistant awakened him again, intending to use him to eliminate his brother-in-love. It was at that moment that the diabolical constellation of planets came into play and the Golem began to wreak havoc.

Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam | Germany | 1920 | 76 min | Director Paul Wegener / Carl Boese | Cast Paul Wegener, Albert Steinrück, Lyda Salmonova, Ernst Deutsch