The Golem
1920, NR, 91 min.
D: Paul Wegener and Carl Boese; with Paul Wegener.

This rarely screened silent film is based on the Jewish folktale of the golem – a clay monster created by Rabbi Loew in the 16th century to thwart the Hapsburg rulers after they issue a decree exiling all the Jews because of a plague for which they are superstitiously held responsible. Not unlike Frankenstein, the golem terrorizes the emperor’s court, falls in love with the rabbi’s daughter, and is subdued by an innocent child. Most of all, The Golem is remembered as a high point in German Expressionism, with dramatically painted sets and crowd scenes and stylized acting. The Golem is played by co-director Wegener, who also directed this story a couple of other times.

This article appears in June 16 • 2000.

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.