5/5 Jewish fable
  by Peter E. Weiss (commerce, texas usa)
I liked the story line--It was exciting and held my interest. I also like the music. It was a love story, forbiden love, people trying to get hope from what ever source was available to them. The Golem, with the help of G-d, saved the people from destruction. He was there as a last resort to save them from disaster. People took advantage of him and also used him to serve their own purposes. The movie held my attention and made me think.

5/5 Review for Alpha Video version of THE GOLEM
  by Gregory Holmes
Although this is certainly not a restored version, the print on this release from Alpha Video is quite good. There is some washing out but it isn't bad and there is surprisngly little dirt and scratching on this print. I am also a fan of the music score used for this version. I have no idea what it might be and there is no music credit on the disc anywhere but I think it really adds something to this version of the film. If you are looking for a cleaned up, near perfect release then this one isn't for you (go for the much more expensive edition from KINO) but if you don't mind a few scratches then this one is a bargain at less than ten dollars. Although this film isn't as widely known as CALIGARI, NOSFERATU or METROPOLIS it certainly ranks right beside them as one of the best examples of early German cinema. It's a true classic and deserves to be in the library of every horror fan or film buff.

5/5 Don't miss this early silent horror masterpiece
  by C. Christopher Blackshere (stalking you from the shadows)
This 1920 silent horror film is simply incredible. It is considered perhaps the first great monster movie ever made, and it definitely is the most unheralded. In fact, the Universal classic Frankenstein probably got some ideas from it.

This opening storyboard is incredibly frightening...


The learned Rabbi Loew
reads in the stars that
misfortune threatens
the Jews


Geez, if that's not some freaky foreshadowing. Here's the setup--in the 16th century, the Jewish community in Prague face persecution. Desperate for protection, the Rabbi molds a giant golem out of clay, and summons a demon to help inject life into this statue. The scene is mesmerizing, with the Rabbi chanting his spell from within a ring of fire. One of the greatest scenes in the history of horror cinema!

Soon everyone learns that the golem refuses to be controlled, as it wrecks havoc amongst friends and foe. This makes a provocative statement on how violence creates more violence, and how you shouldn't mess with the laws of nature.

One interesting observation I had--the Jews were banded from the region due to rumors they practiced black magic. I immediately connected this with gov't lies and propaganda for means to justify an end. But when the Jews attempted to use spells for protection, it sort of validates the Emperor's beliefs, does it not?

The Golem is without a doubt an early gem in horror cinema. It is eerie, atmospheric, and ground-breaking. I have no idea why this has not received more acclaim. Highly recommended to silent horror film fans.


4/5 Early Horror Story
  by Alberto M. Barral (new york)
The Golem is an interesting story though the sets and costumes do not match the time. It is suppossed to be in 16th Century Prague but the costumes look 13th century and the entire period look is much more medieval than Renaissance. The emperor that persecuted the jews in that region then known as Bohemia, was Rudolph I (May 1218 - 15 July 1291, emperor from 1273) not Rudolph II (King of Bohemia from 1575-1608/1611) who quite the contrary, was in best of terms with the head rabbi in Prague and very interested in the Kabalah.
The Golem is created by the rabbi to save his people. He makes a giant clay statue that becomes alive after a special incantation and he takes it with him to the castle of the emperor, where he frightens him and his court to such a degree that he consents to repeal the edict of evacuation. The scene of giving life to the Golem is the most spooky.
However an assistant to the rabbi is in love with his daughter, who is having an affair of her own with another man she likes better than him. He hears them talking in her bedchamber and revives the Golem, which sets out to destroy the intruder and throws him off the top of the tower, the whole persecution of the intruder by the Golem is the most exciting part of the film. This situation enables the rabbi's daughter to become hysterical, and scream her head off, all of which she does very well and enthuthiastically.
There is also a fire provoked by the Golem, and the whole ghetto is alarmed. The fire destroys the Tower in a beautiful, terryfying sequence, but the rabbi has a magical spell to quench the fire, which he uses right on time so the ghetto is saved.
The lighting is very well utilized in the film to create a constant air of mystery and danger.The Golem always looks fearsome and menacing and his eyes and facial expression reminded me of the sculpture that was alive in the castle of the Beast in Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast".
This film is entertaining and elegant, but also an important step in the development of German Expressionist cinema, for which I do recommend seeing it. Now I am very curious to see how it influenced "Faust' and "Nosferatu".

4/5 The Golem
  by Marcolini Fan
While we have not yet watched the film, I was VERY disappointed with the amount of time it took to ship. We live overseas and I purchased the film from the US distributor: digitaleyes_dvdplanet to have it shipped to the US address we would be visting. I ordered the film 2 weeks before arrival. We were there 10 days and the film still had not been delivered. I contacted the shipper 5 days before departure and got the standard response that it was on it's way. In the end, it did not arrive in time before we left and my father sent it 10 days later. So it took a month to get it!