THE GOLEM is one of those movies that many people have seen stills from or have read about but, up until now, have not had the opportunity to see it as it was intended to be seen. Copies of it have been around for years but it was available only in poor quality prints projected at the wrong speed with inappropriate or no music background at all. The 2002 Kino DVD release finally remedied that situation but it was not without issues of its own. This new Kino Blu-Ray release is the best edition we’re likely to see for some time. It’s absolutely incredible! It also gives you the option of viewing both versions so you can compare them for yourself.
The story concerns a Jewish ghetto in 16th century Prague which is saved by the creation of a clay man who is brought to life and becomes their protector. After his task is finished, he refuses to return to clay and runs amok until he is finally vanquished by the hands of a child. Much of the Golem legend would be used by Mary Shelley in FRANKENSTEIN and this movie would be recycled by James Whale and Boris Karloff for the famous 1931 film. It is fascinating to watch this film today not only for its remarkable set design but for the sympathetic portrayal of Jewish life which was possible in 1920 Germany but not 13 years later.
As stated earlier, this is by far and away the best version of this film that I have seen. It is a huge improvement over the old Kino German Horror Classics release which was plagued by oversaturation of the color tints. The Murnau restoration print is sharp and clear with the stylized details quite vivid especially in the ghetto scenes. There are 3 newly composed soundtracks available but I prefer the 2002 one by Aljoscha Zimmermann that incorporated Jewish melodies with folk dance material. Unfortunately, it is is not included here. The disc also comes with an audio commentary and a side-by-side comparison of both versions.
The Capsule Critic 