The Golem (1920 film)
| The Golem: How He Came into the World | |
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| Directed by |
Paul Wegener Carl Boese |
| Produced by | Paul Davidson |
| Written by |
Henrik Galeen Paul Wegener |
| Starring |
Paul Wegener Albert Steinrück Lyda Salmonova Ernst Deutsch Lothar Müthel |
| Music by | Hans Landsberger Karl-Ernst Sasse (1977) Aljoscha Zimmermann (2000) |
| Cinematography |
Karl Freund Guido Seeber |
| Distributed by |
Universum Film (UFA) (1920) (Germany) (theatrical) Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (1921) (USA) (theatrical) Elite Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD) Transit Film (Germany) |
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Release date
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Running time
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85 minutes 91 minutes (US) |
| Country | Weimar Republic |
| Language |
Silent film German intertitles |
The Golem: How He Came into the World (German: Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam, also referred to as The Golem) is a 1920 silent horror film co-directed by and starring Paul Wegener. The picture was directed by Carl Boese and Wegener and written by Wegener and Henrik Galeen. It stars Wegener as the golem. The film was the third of three films that Wegener made featuring the golem, the other two being The Golem (1915) and the short comedy The Golem and the Dancing Girl (1917), in which Wegener dons the Golem make-up in order to frighten a young lady he is infatuated with. The Golem: How He Came into the World is a prequel to The Golem from 1915 and is the best known of the series, largely because it is the only one of the three films that has not been lost. One of the early horror films, the film was sensational upon its release and has left a lasting legacy within the film industry, alongside another early German expressionist horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).
Set in Jewish ghetto of medieval Prague, the film begins with Rabbi Loew, the head of the city's Jewish community, reading the stars. Loew predicts disaster for his people and brings his assistant to inform the elders of the community. The next day the Holy Roman Emperor signs a royal decree declaring that the Jews must leave the city before the new moon. The Emperor sends the knight Florian to deliver the decree. Loew meanwhile begins to devise a way of defending the Jews.
Upon arriving at the ghetto, the arrogant Florian falls in love with Miriam, Loew's daughter, for whom his assistant shares affection. Loew talks Florian into reminding the Emperor that it is he who predicts disasters and tells the horoscopes of the Emperor, and requests an audience with him. Having courted with Miriam, Florian leaves. Loew begins to create a huge monster out of clay by praying with God first, the Golem, which he will bring to life to defend his people. Florian returns later with a request from the Emperor for Loew to attend the Rose Festival at the palace. He shares a romantic moment with Miriam while Loew reveals to his assistant that he has secretly created the Golem, and requires his assistance to animate it. In an elaborate magical procedure, Loew and the assistant summon the spirit Astaroth and compel him, as per the ancient texts, to say the magic word to bring life. This word is written on paper by Loew which is then enclosed in an amulet and inserted onto the Golem's chest. The Golem awakes. Loew's assistant then tames the Golem, and the Rabbi uses it as a household servant.
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