The Golem In Film

There have been several films that contributed to the popularity of the golem as a character that inspires fear and horror. The fear of the golem is for a few obvious reasons, such as crushing towns, and wreaking havoc. The psychological implications are that the golem is just a mirror image of man, with the exception of having any morals or restraint; the golem is a mindless servant that gradually learns the ways of evil. Because the golem is without a mind he cannot truly embrace logic or the goodness and sense of being fair. In another sense, it believed in some religions as well that the witless are easily penetrated by evil because they lack any intelligence to defend themselves from Satan, and cannot see through the evil tricks of demons and evil doers.

The most notorious golem film was silent, made in Germany in 1915, and titled simply “The Golem,” though in the US the movie was called “The Monster of Fate.” The movie takes place in the modern time of 1915 when an  antique merchant resurrects an ancient golem that had been created four centuries before by a rabbi. The antique dealer planned to use the golem as a servant, however the plot unfolds as the golem falls in love with the merchant’s daughter. She rejects the golem naturally, and he turns to a series of murders in his rage. The same golem makes an appearance in a 2006 episode of the Simpsons.

In 1920 the prequel to the film was released, called “The Golem: How He Began,” having the same director as the first movie; Paul Wegener. As evident in the title, the movie tells the story of the Jews of Prague, and how a local rabbi creates a giant golem from clay to protect the village from anti-Semitic persecution. Naturally, the golem eventually begins wreaking havoc on the villagers. Earlier, in 1917, Paul Wegener directed the silent comedy film, called “The Golem and the Dancing Girl.” However, very little information is actually available on the film, and some sources claim it as being “lost.” Part of the plot is an actor impersonating the famous golem character as a practical joke, and then story kicks off with various contingent issues.