The Golem: How He Came into the World
- Paul Wegener: Golem
- Albert Steinrück: Rabbi Loew
- Lyda Salmonova: Loew's daughter Miriam
- Ernst German: Loew's assistant
- Lothar Müthel: Junker Florian
- Otto fee: Kaiser
- Hans Sturm: Rabbi Yehuda
- Max Kronert: Temple servants
- Greta Schröder: maid with Rose
- Loni Nest: the little girl
The Golem: How He Came Into the World is a German Expressionist film by Paul Wegener and Carl Boese from the year 1920. He is considered a classic of German silent cinema.
Action
Prague in the 16th century: at the position of the stars recognize Rabbi Löw, that great danger for the Jewish ghetto threatened. He decided then, to give the Golem, an artificial man of clay to life. The Golem is to avert disaster, according to ancient Jewish legends. And actually proclaimed the emperor issued a decree against the Jews. This should leave the city. The certificate will be handed over by Junker Florian the Jewish community and Rabbi Loew. On this occasion, the Christian Junker and the daughter of Rabbi Loew named Miriam fall. Rabbi Loew would like the Emperor change his mind and wrote him a note in which he refers to his services and asks for an audience. This will be paid to him during a party. The rabbi takes the Golem, and collapse as the Imperial Castle by magical forces threatened the rabbi can prevent this by using the Golem. In gratitude, the Emperor takes back the decree against the Jews.
While the rabbi stays in the Imperial Castle, Junker Florian sneaks undetected into the house of Rabbi Miriam. As the rabbi returns to his house, he takes the Golem ( against its will ) the life-giving star of the chest, whereupon he falls over backwards and remains lying. Then the rabbi is called to a thank you ceremony in the temple. The assistant to the Rabbi noticed the Christian invader, aroused jealousy from the golem back to life and gives him the order to expel the Junker.
In a battle of Golem raises the Junker from the roof of the house. Then he sets the house on fire and grinds Miriam continued. The Golem breaks on the gate of the city, and goes out into the field. He raises one of the children who play in the meadows, up to his. The girl is fascinated by the star on the chest of the golem and takes him to her. Then the Golem falls lifeless to the ground.
Reviews
" Wegener's film was one of the artistic and business major successes of the German silent film production, its exceptional, certain of Art Nouveau and Expressionism picture and decorative design has lost none of its suggestive effect. "
" Famous Golem film by Paul Wegener from the expressionist period of the German silent cinema. The exemplary image design gives the work of high artistic rank. A classic that should see all the art of film lovers. "
Comments
The film is based on the sagas surrounding the Prague rabbi Judah Loew. Noteworthy is the plastic film architecture by Hans Poelzig and Kurt Richter in the style of Expressionism. It contributes significantly to the fairy-tale romantic overall feel of the film. Filmed in 1920 at the Ufa - Union - studio and on the Ufa - free area in Berlin -Tempelhof. The premiere took place on 29 October 1920 in Berlin at the Ufa - Palast am Zoo.
The film was one of the world's greatest achievements of the German silent cinema. In months long sold-out performances, the film was shown in the United States and even in China.
In 2002 the film was aired in a restored and viragierten by the Munich Filmmuseum version on Arte, provided with a new music (from Alyosha Zimmermann). The U.S. musician Frank Black introduced in 2008 before his new scoring the film, which he had composed on behalf of the San Francisco Film Festival.
In the animated series "The Simpsons" in the episode " Treehouse of Horror XVII " there is an allusion to the film.
DVD
- Paul Wegener's The Golem, Restored version with new music, Transit Classics - Deluxe Edition, 2004