The Golem

Starring:Ernst Deutsch, Carl Ebert, Fritz Feld, Otto GebÃ¼hr, Max Kronert, Lothar MÃ¼thel, Loni Nest, Dore Paetzold, Lyda Salmonova, Greta SchrÃ¶der, Albert SteinrÃ¼ck, Hans StÃ¼rm, Paul Wegener
Director: Paul Wegener
Studio: Kino Video
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic adventure of good against evil, the power of friendship and individual courage. The saga centers around an unassuming Hobbit named Frodo Baggins who inherits a Ring that would give a dark and powerful lord the power to enslave the world. With a loyal fellowship of elves, dwarves, men and a wizard, Frodo embarks on a heroic quest to destroy the One Ring and pave the way for the emergence of mankind.

System Requirements:
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sir Ian Mc Kellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd.
Directed By: Peter Jackson.
Running Time: 178 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Standard" format.
Copyright 2002 Warner Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's adventure. Ending on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation, this wondrous fantasy continues in The Two Towers (2002). --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The only way to go for Tolkien fans.......2007-06-30

I only had the regular version of the Fellowship and the extended version of the Two Towers and Return of the King. I just recently picked up this extended version to complete the set and am very glad I did. If you are even a casual Tolkien fan, the extended versions of each film are the only way to go. The added scenes make the whole experience much richer.

Lord of The Rings - Kicks Butt!.......2007-06-14

An incredible adventure that captures the imaginations and makes you laugh and cry! You will enjoy all the characters and miss them when they are gone! And the special effects makes you believe it is all real! Peter Jackson did an amazing job! And the cast is perfect! A real gem of a movie! I think everyone should own it!!!!

Best movie of all times!!!.......2007-05-31

This has to be the best movie of all times!!! I LOVE it! I will never grow tired of it...not even when I'm 99!!! I love all of the characters...but here are my favorite:

1. Aragorn (Strider ... ranger from the North)
2. Gandalf (love that old wizard!)
3. Merry and Pippin (sort of like Pintel and Ragetti from Pirates... always together and always funny)
4. Sam (good 'ol Sam)
5. Gimili
6. Arwen
7. Fodo Baggins (hip hip, hooray!)

This is a great movie ... I really like the extended scenes. This is a five star movie. I hope Peter Jackson does:

the Hobbit or, There and Back Again, a Hobbit's tale

i didn't like it!!!.......2007-05-16

I rented this movie and it was so boring. My whole family hated it. I hated it. I wish the whole world hated it. It was about 4 elf dudes who went on a stupid quest to destroy a "ring of Power" (oh that's SO scary) and in the end they don't even destroy it, the movie just ends with them looking at a mountain. I know there are two more movies that explain what happens next, but it is moronic that i (or my family) should have to sit through two more 3 hour long movies just to find out what happens. Entertainment needs to be fast and digestible, not long and bloated like this. The length is what kills it. If the whole movie had been like 2 hours it would have been decent, but c'mon, 9 hours?!?! No way. I have a life and I can't spend it watching one movie. Now the acting. It was the worst acting perhaps in history. The accents were so obviously phony and all the actors were hammy and pretentious. This is a movie guys, not some event that requires extreme emoting. The F/X were unimpressive. The CGI is very obvious, and it is very obvious that the elf dudes are the same height as everyone else. Why do people like this movie? It was depressing! There was nothing to be learned from this foolishness, just a bunch of grown men swinging plastic swords around. What a waste of time and life this movie is.

One of the best movies ever made but the dvd I got has a really strange aspect ratio... .......2007-05-15

Ok I would be giving this movie 5 stars but the copy I got has a really strange aspect ratio. Its like a 2.35:1 but inside a 1.85:1 ratio. It makes it look like there are three different elements: the movie in the center in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio but a lighter shade of black in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio then the darker normal black bars... Its really annoying and looks very unprofessional. Whats even stranger is that the extended version I have looks perfect. I like the theatrical version better but it has this strange aspect ratio. Does anyone know why?

German Horror Classics (Nosferatu (1922) / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / Waxworks / The Golem)

Average customer rating:

Great collection of German silent classics
Awesome for those who get it!
German silent horror masterpieces in definitive prints
Landmarks in film history
The Height of Silent-Era German Expressionism

German Horror Classics (Nosferatu (1922) / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / Waxworks / The Golem)
Starring: German Horror Classics
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)
Fritz Lang Epic Collection (Metropolis/Die Nibelungen/Woman in the Moon/Spies)
M - Criterion Collection (Special Edition)
Faust
Destiny (1921) aka Der müde Tod

ASIN: B00006JMQJ
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Customer Reviews:

Great collection of German silent classics.......2007-06-19

F.W. Murnau's interpretation of Dracula, "Nosferatu", is a visually powerful film and perhaps the eeriest of all of the cinematic versions of the tale. In Max Schreck Murnau seems to have found an actor who was born to play the role of vampire Count Orlok. This combined with the vision of Murnau produces several unforgettable scenes in a tale most people already know very well - Orlok walking through Hutter's bedroom door, Orlok rising from his coffin on board the ship, and the shadow of Orlok walking up the stairway to Ellen's bedroom door, just to name a few.
Extra features on the "Nosferatu" disk include:
1. a still photo and promotional materials gallery (18 images)
2. More than 30 minutes of excerpts from the Murnau films "Journey into the Night" (1920), "The Haunted Castle" (1921), "Phantom" (1922), "The Last Laugh" (1924), "Faust" (1926) and "Tabu" (1931).
3. Scene comparisons between the Stoker novel, the script, and the film itself.
4. An excerpt from a 1938 Orson Welles radio performance.

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" has a man, Francis, sitting in a garden reciting a tale of horror to another man involving a mad doctor, Dr. Caligari, and his sleepwalker, Cesare, who supposedly has the ability to tell fortunes that turns into a tale of murder. At the conclusion of the tale, though, you realize some things that make you doubt whether the tale as it was told is the truth at all. The story is very Hitchcock-like in its open-ended meaning, and the art design looks like it had a heavy influence on Tim Burton, with its oddly angled and decorated doors and hallways.
Extra features include:
1. a 44-minute condensation of Caligari director Robert Wiene's "Genuine" (1920) which represents nearly all of the surviving footage.
2. a sketch, photo and posters gallery (40 images, not counting detail closeups)
3. clips of Wiene on the set of I.N.R.I. (1923) (3 minutes)
4. excerpts from a German language print showing the calligraphic artwork of a few of the original intertitles (7 minutes).

"The Golem" lays the cinematic groundwork for the 1931 motion picture version of "Frankenstein" . In character design, wardrobe, and interaction with its creator and the world around it, the two monsters do resemble one another. In this case, "The Golem", is a monster created from clay and magic rather than from spare body parts and science, and the monster's creator is a Rabbi. I think I was more shocked to see a Rabbi portrayed as someone who openly dabbled in the black arts and astrology than anything else the film offered. The Rabbi is even shown conjuring up a "god" - Asteroth - and forcing him to produce the life-giving word to bring "The Golem" to life. If this is how Germans perceived the practice of the Jewish religion in 1920, fifteen years before the Holocaust began, it might explain a great deal, but nothing about this aspect of the film is mentioned in the extra features.
The extra features include:
1. an excerpt from a rough 1937 American print of Julien Duvivier's Le Golem (1936) [6 minutes]
2. a comparison of creation sequences from diverse sources such as Wegener's The Golem (1920), the Chayim Bloch book The Golem (1925) and F.W. Murnau's Faust (1926)
3. a gallery of stills, illustrations and promotional materials [15 images].

"Waxworks" is really more of a fantasy tale than a horror story. It has a young man applying for a job in a wax museum with the task of writing stories to accompany each of the exhibits. This allows the film to be turned into a series of rather imaginative short stories in various exotic settings.
The extra features for this film are Paul Leni's experimental short film Rebus-film No. 1 (1926), and an excerpt from The Thief of Bagdad (1924).

The prints are all good quality and the accompanying scores really fit the mood of the individual films. This set is probably a good place to start exploring German silent film. My only real complaint was a lack of a commentary track on the films. Certainly, don't fall for the budget releases that are available for some of these films. They are usually incomplete and certainly not restored. Unfortunately, silent film restoration costs money, but in Kino products you get what you pay for in good transfers and complete works.

Awesome for those who get it!.......2007-02-19

I purchased these as a piece of history and was not dissapointed. Kino obviously has their act together and I will be buying more of their high quality movies in the future. It is obvious that the greatest care was taken to make these DVDs as clean and clear as possible, and those of you who will actually enjoy watching something as facinating as silent expressionist films will totally love these. Those of you who laugh and crack jokes during the show (you know who you are!) won't appreciate the quality and should rent something stimulating like "Friday the 13--Part Seventy-Four" instead.

German silent horror masterpieces in definitive prints.......2005-09-25

When it comes to horror films, I am far off the beaten path and in another world. I like my horror subtle and moody and intelligent, not the modern slasher and splatter variety. Four of my all-time favorite horror films are the German Horror Classics silents in an elegant (and expensive--$70) boxed set from Kino Video-THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919), THE GOLEM (1920), NOSFERATU (1922), and WAXWORKS (1926). This boxed set is perfect for Halloween season, year after year. It is the ultimaTe show and tell at parties. Kino has the finest and longest prints, with original roadshow color tinting and a variety of evocative new music scores. You get what you pay for, and you are averaging only $18 a movie.

Most prints of Robert Weine's DR. CALIGARI only run 52 minutes, in B&W. This collection has it color-tinted at 75 minutes from a 35mm German film archive print and with two music score options-modern jazz or soft orchestra. This is the first great horror film, about a traveling circus with a madman and his murderous assistant. Also included on the disk is a 48 minute condensation of another Weine film, GENUINE: THE TALE OF A VAMPIRE (1920). A CALIGARI photo gallery is included.

THE GOLEM, from star/director Paul Wegener, is set in a medieval German town. A giant clay man helps save a village from an evil dictator. This was the forerunner of all the FRANKENSTEIN movies. It runs 86 minutes, from the Munich Film Archive, with a new music score.

Paul Leni's WAXWORKS was made in Germany only a couple of years before he did THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927). Jon Marsalis provides a lush new music score. The movie has the original roadshow color tinting and runs 85 minutes. A young scholar is hired to write wax museum program notes for statues of Jack the Ripper, Harrun al-Raschid, and Ivan the Terrible. This is the finest print I have ever seen of this.

The crown jewel of this exquisite Kino boxed set is a restored, way longer than usual 93 minute archive print of Murnau's NOSFERATU. (I've seen several prints that only run 63 minutes!) You get what you pay for from Kino, the Rolls Royce of the DVD industry. An unauthorized, yet definitive, film of Dracula, this lovely print has full color-tinting and a choice of two different music scores. You also get a photo gallery and lengthy excerpts from several other Murnau silent films.

Happy Halloween with true chills from Kino with their German Horror Classics boxed set. Again, it is expensive, but a true labor of love for serious collectors. You know who you are. Now to choose between this and the Val Lewton Collection, the new 3-disk WIZARD OF OZ, and a special two disk PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925)! (REVIEWED ON 35MM ARCHIVE DVD)

Landmarks in film history.......2005-08-12

What an amazing boxed set. Wow. Works on every level. On a technical level, Kino Video has done a great job of presenting these films. They look great, have awesome menus, really cool extras, and each movie has two different music scores to choose from.

Now, onto the movies themselves. These are some truly great films. The most famous, and truly the most terrifying, is "Nosferatu." A groundbreaking feat from a legendary director, this is an atmospheric and chilling twist on the vampire legend (and quite a liberation from Bram Stoker's vision). I'm no film studies expert, but I know that a lot of the filming techniques here are pioneering, and produce a great "symphony of horror."

"The Golem" is an adaptation of an old Jewish legend dealing with the ancient branch of Hebrew mysticism known as Kabbahlism. (I wonder if all those Hollywood A-list types have seen this movie!) It is an eloquent and frightening tale of the chaos that results when man meddles with powers beyond himself; the Golem is Proteus' fire, or Victor Frankenstein's monster, or John Hammond's dinosaur theme park. A timeless message, presented here in a religious context. Quite a remarkable movie, boasting the best score of all the movies in this set.

"Waxworks" is perhaps less weighty than these first two, but no less entertaining. It's sort of like Madame Tussaud-meets-Scheherezade (pardon my poor spelling!). A compelling story well told, with good acting and pacing. Very good.

Finally, we come to "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." I've arranged my reviews in order of my esteem, and this one comes last because it fell short of my expecations. The story is fascinating. The set design, casting, and costuming are probably the best in the field of German expressionism (which is saying something) but the pacing of the film, in my opinion, is really off, and that causes it to drag a little bit. It's still a real thrill ride; after all, the story of a madman who uses a tragic somnambulist as a pawn in his diabolic schemes is wonderful. The set design and the actors work together to create an atmosphere as chilling and surreal as anything Tim Burton has ever done. It's just a little slow.

Over all, this collection is a must-have. German expressionism was a visionary art movement, one that died long before its time. The ultra-realism of most modern (and primarily American) art has its limitations, and expressionism, a sort-of counterpoint to realism, is a refreshing change. Furthermore, these movies are remarkable simply for their gravity. Although I love many movies from the 40s and 50s, it seems that many movies from that time were more pulp, whereas some silent movies were profound and human in a way that's often hard to find in cinema. (For example, compare Tod Browning's "Dracula" with Murnau's "Nosferatu." Both great, but Browning's is a bit more whimsical and stylized, I feel, whereas Murnau's is operatic.)

And so, whether you're a fan of all things antique, just a film buff, deutcheophile (try that one on for size!), or a sucker for horror flicks, this is a great buy.

The Height of Silent-Era German Expressionism.......2004-10-04

Like most artistic "isms," expressionism is difficult to define. In a general sense, it refers to art where the artist is less interested in depicting reality than in making a highly personal statement about a specific subject. Since this occurs to some degree in virtually all art, expressionism has very deep roots--but in the early 1900s it began to develop into a very specific arts movement, most often associated with the stage, where the legendary Eugene O'Neill would prove a master of the style. But it was also very specifically associated with post-World War I Germany, and in 1919 director Robert Wiene would create the first purely expressionistic film: THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI.

The film divided both critical and popular response, but once pure expressionism reached the screen it touched off a series of German films that dabbled in the style to at least some degree. This memorable Kino Video box set collects four of the most famous: the aforementioned CALIGARI, the 1920 THE GOLEM, the 1922 NOSFERATU, and the rarely seen 1924 WAXWORKS. Both individually and collectively, these films and others like them have cast an extremely long shadow, influencing directors as diverse as James Whale, Frederico Fellini, and Bob Fosse.

CALIGARI, THE GOLEM, and NOSFERATU are widely available in various "budget" releases, but it has been my hard-won experience that in such situations you get what you pay for: most are unwatchable. The Kino editions, however, are very much "best case" prints, contrast balanced and with original tints restored. Short of full digital restoration, this is as good as it gets, and while they may seem pricey in comparison they are well worth every cent.

Sadly, none of the DVDs offer significant bonus material. This is particularly unfortunate in the case of CALIGARI, which is such a unique film that it alone would be worthy of a double DVD edition. Still, the occasional bonuses are entertaining if not greatly satisfying, and even with this drawback the box set as a whole--and every title in it--is a must-have for any one who is seriously interested in world cinema.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Average customer rating:

Expressionist classic
Fascinating relic
Creepy !
Gothic tale of horror
"Be lifeless clay once again--lest the powers of darkness take vengeance."

The Golem
Starring: Ernst Deutsch , Carl Ebert , Fritz Feld , Otto Gebühr , and Max Kronert
Director: Paul Wegener
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Nosferatu
Faust
Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)
Die Nibelungen

ASIN: B00006L90Y
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

A relic certainly, but a fascinating one, Der Golem is perhaps the screen's first great monster movie. Though it was actually the third time director-star Paul Wegener had played the eponymous creation, the earlier efforts (sadly lost) were rough drafts for this elaborate dramatization of the Jewish legend. When the Emperor decrees that the Jews of mediaeval Prague should be evicted from the ghetto, a mystical rabbi creates a clay giant and summons the demon Astaroth who breathes out in smoky letters the magic word that will animate the golem. Intended as a protector and avenger, the golem is twisted by the machinations of a lovelorn assistant and, like many a monster to come, runs riot, terrorizing guilty and innocent alike until a little girl innocently ends his rampage. Wegener's golem is an impressively solid figure, the Frankenstein monster with a slightly comical clay wig. The wonderfully grotesque Prague sets and the alchemical atmosphere remain potent. --Kim Newman

Customer Reviews:

Expressionist classic.......2007-06-23

An excellent silent film made in Germany in 1920 and making great use of the expressionist style of filmmaking from that era. Made by the same studio that produced The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari that same year. It was one of the first "monster movies" as well. This movie was a huge influence on James Whale when he made Frankenstein in 1931. It involves a Jewish community being persecuted by Christians. The Jewish rabbi uses "black magic" to bring a clay statue to life in order to protect them from the Christian emperor. The cinematographer, Karl Freund, would go on to lens Fritz Lang's Metropolis in 1927 and Tod Browning's Dracula in 1931; and in the 50's he was the director of photography for the "I Love Lucy" show.

Fascinating relic.......2007-06-17

I hadn't realized how much this movie set the pattern for the ones that came after. The golem's straight-legged walk and padded chest will certainly look familiar, as will some of the scenes (including the monster and child). Other parts are less familiar but even more intriguing, including the celebration of European Jewish traditions going back to the 1600s.

The cover of this DVD is garishly colorized - don't worry, the movie itself has not suffered that fate. On the other hand, it hasn't gotten the kind of restoration that has brought other old movies to new life, either. As a result, brightness varies moment to moment and the edges of the screen are generally quite murky. The instrumental sound track adds to the movie, but adds only a little. Also, the movie runs a bit past the 85 minutes quoted on the cover.

Only the image quality is a real concern, though. The movie is still legible and enjoyable, but would be easier to enjoy if the imagery could be renewed using modern techniques.

-- wiredweird

Creepy !.......2007-04-21

Weird,odd and creepy !Story is taken from an old myth,and put to film.

Gothic tale of horror.......2006-11-14

Based on a legend that began in 1580 Prague, this early example of German Expressionism is also a fine example of an early horror movie. The lighting and shadows, Gothic/Expressionist surroundings, the dark forces swirling around, and the creepy-looking Golem all contribute towards making this a landmark film. It's set in the abovementioned 16th century Prague, in the Jewish ghetto of the city (one can see the pointed hats and the strange-looking badges a number of the characters are wearing, a common practice in many areas of Europe prior to the Enlightenment and something the Nazis, 15 or so years down the line, only had to look back in history for). The much-revered rabbi-astrologer of the ghetto, Rabbi Löw, in his desperation to stop an anti-Semitic royal edict forcing the community out of the city, begins making a man out of clay, and with the help of his assistant conjures up Astaroth, who gives them the magick word that will bring the Golem to life when written down and put in the amulet on his chest.

Rabbi Löw, who has successfully done a horoscope for the emperor in the past, is invited to his court again to entertain the more fortunate people who don't have to live in a ghetto and who look all fresh, sunshiny, and happy, a far cry from the people in the ghetto, who are almost all old, dressed in black, poor, and beaten-down looking. While the rabbi is at court with the Golem, who is being passed off as his mute servant, his daughter Miriam is getting busy with the rather feminine-looking Knight Florian, who delivered first the banishment edict and then the edict demanding Rabbi Löw appear at court. (Florian is actually more feminine-looking than Miriam!) All is going well at court till everyone, against his explicit warning, starts laughing at the images of his ancestors he's conjured up, and the building starts collapsing. However, after the Golem saves the day, the banishment edict is reversed, and all seems to be going well. After they get home, he turns on his master and is deactivated; conveniently, a bad astrological portent has just begun, in which the Golem will be compelled to turn against his creator. Rabbi Löw is about to destroy him when his servant summons him to the synagogue to lead the thanksgiving prayers for the edict having been reversed. Not knowing that the Golem has just become anything but a protector and benefactor, the servant reactivates him, and all while Florian is still in Miriam's room, both of them desperately trying to figure out a way get him out of there without anyone finding out what just happened. At this point the Golem totally goes berserk, and things are not happening according to plan for anyone as he goes on a rampage through the ghetto. (I just wish his rampage had lasted longer; it would have made for a lot more dramatic tension!)

It's kind of stunning to realise just how close this film was made to the rise of the Nazis, what with its rather fair and sympathetic portrayal of the Jewish characters. These characters might be poor, living in a ghetto, and made to wear distinguishing badges and hats, but they seem like more sympathetic and human characters than the Christian Czechs, who party, frolic, and flirt all day long, not having any more important priorities, like survival or dignity in the face of prejudice and blood libels. Although it does seem kind of ironic how one of the charges on the banishment edict is the practice of witchcraft and black magick, which Rabbi Löw uses in order to try to save his people! Even the inaccuracies weren't offensive, more like unintentional errors from someone well-meaning and who didn't know any better, such as references to praying in temple (that word was not used to describe a Jewish house of worship, bar the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, till the 19th century, and this takes place in 1580!) and using the name Jehovah to refer to God. No observant Jew, past or present, would ever use that word, which is the result of a 16th century Christian scribal error, not the way the Tetragrammaton, YHVH, was pronounced. (No one has known the correct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton for nearly 2,000 years anyway.) Still, all things considered, those are relatively minor errors; it's not like these characters are big-nosed money-grubbing Shylocks.

Extras are excerpts from Julien Duvivier's 'Le Golem' (1936), comparisons of the creations found in the film and in Chayim Bloch's novel, as well as a comparison with the scene in 'Faust' (1926) where Mephisto is conjured up, and a gallery of pictures and artwork.

This perhaps isn't the best choice for a first silent (some of the characters do have the exaggerated makeup and eyes that a lot of people falsely assume was the case in all silents, although this is 1920 and not 1926 or 1928, by which time actors looked more natural and less heavily made-up for the bright lights), but it is a classic Expressionist film, as well as a classic silent horror film and a classic early German film.

"Be lifeless clay once again--lest the powers of darkness take vengeance.".......2006-07-09

"Golem", the 1920 silent German film from directors Carl Boese and Paul Wegener is set in 16th century Prague, and it's a simple story with fantastic overtones based on Jewish folklore. Elderly Rabbi Low (Albert Steinstruck) goes to the top of his tower and reading the stars, he predicts a great disaster will soon befall the Jewish people. To prepare for the disaster, Rabbi Low, dabbling in sorcery creates a man from clay known as the Golem. In theory, the Golem is supposed to protect the Jewish ghetto dwelling community from the impending disaster, and Rabbi Low works furiously against time to finish his creation before disaster strikes.

But disaster comes in several ways. The Emperor delivers an edict that all Jews must be banished for the city, and this order is delivered by the knight, Florian (Lothar Muthel). He arrives at the Rabbi's dwelling with the declaration of expulsion in one hand, and a flower that he sniffs occasionally in the other. Just this small gesture of idly waving the flower back and forth before his nose conveys the knight's lack of humanity towards the ghetto dwellers. While the knight's errand is ostensibly over, he begins casting his eyes on the Rabbi's daughter, Miriam (Lyda Salmonova).

With the Golem created, the Rabbi brings his creature to life during an elaborate ceremony of the Black Arts. The Rabbi intends to use the Golem as a demonstration of his power and his brilliance--and hopes that by doing so, the Jews will be allowed to stay in the city. Unfortunately, his plans go awry. The Golem's emotions seem to lean towards the negative side of humanity. Is this a corruption of black magic, or is this human nature at its basest?

It's impossible not to watch Golem without being struck by some similarities to James Whales' "Frankenstein" (especially one scene at nearly the end of the film). The film's sets are incredibly complex--the ghetto is within a walled section of the city and entered only by a huge, locked gate. Winding cobblestone streets are lined with tall, stone multi-level buildings. The Rabbi's home is quite fantastic--gothic arches, and a stairway carved from stone. Those interested in German Expressionist cinema will want to watch the film for its historic value alone. The Alpha DVD print is quite acceptable, and my copy had no blemishes--displacedhuman

Average customer rating:

Expressionist classic
Fascinating relic
Creepy !
Gothic tale of horror
"Be lifeless clay once again--lest the powers of darkness take vengeance."

The Golem
Starring: Ernst Deutsch , Carl Ebert , Fritz Feld , Otto Gebühr , and Max Kronert
Director: Paul Wegener
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Nosferatu
Faust
Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)
Die Nibelungen

ASIN: B00006JMQH
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Expressionist classic.......2007-06-23

Fascinating relic.......2007-06-17

Creepy !.......2007-04-21

Weird,odd and creepy !Story is taken from an old myth,and put to film.

Gothic tale of horror.......2006-11-14

"Be lifeless clay once again--lest the powers of darkness take vengeance.".......2006-07-09

Masterworks Of The German Horror Cinema (Nosferatu / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / The Golem)

Average customer rating:

excellent collection
Nosferatu rules!
B/W TRIPLE THREAT
How bad do you want Der Golem?
Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema

Masterworks Of The German Horror Cinema (Nosferatu / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / The Golem)
Starring: Lil Dagover , Friedrich Feher , Rudolf Klein-Rogge , Werner Krauss , and Hans Lanser-Rudolf
Manufacturer: ELITE ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00002VW42
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Amazon.com

Three seminal works in one package make this an ideal choice for film buffs and horror fans. The Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema contains three influential masterpieces from the early 1920s: The Golem, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Nosferatu. All three films are excellent, and their influence on later works, most notably Frankenstein, is clear. Nosferatu, directly plagiarized from Bram Stoker's Dracula, is by far the scariest of the three. Max Schreck's bizarre, creepy performance as the vampire is still surprisingly effective. The Golem is a retelling of the Jewish legend of a rabbi who dabbles in the black arts to protect the inhabitants of the ghetto. He makes a man of clay and brings him to life, with dire results. Though all three have gorgeous images, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the tale of a mysterious mesmerist, is the most interesting as a prime example of German expressionism. The swooping, distorted sets are brilliantly nightmarish. The three silent films are best enjoyed with the volume turned all the way down. While The Golem is presented in silence, by far the most satisfying option, the music soundtrack tacked onto Caligari is unnecessary at best, and the score Nosferatu has been saddled with is absolutely dunderheaded. Bonus material includes stills and poster art from all three films and a clip from the lost film Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

excellent collection.......2007-01-05

If you have a taste for the classic stories and an appreciation of the filmwork of the times, this will not disappoint. All stories are true to the original works and the background scenery is incredible. I would be surprised to find that much of Tim Burton's imagery is not influenced by these films.

Nosferatu rules!.......2001-05-29

I didn't have time to watch Caligari and the Golem, because I wanted to watch "Nosferatu!" The film is excellent, and the flaw at the end scene is hillarious! I won't tell you because it gives away the vampire's death sequence. Well, the honor of acting in this film has to go to Max Shrek, who probably was a vampire. At least I think so. Anyway, the makeup is simply the most powerful ever created for the cinema, next to Frankenstein's monster.

The plot is simple: Just the same as all the books. But with the absence of Van Helsing, the story falls a little flat.

To heck with that. Ignore the others on this great 2 disc set and only watch Nosferatu! That and, did you know that this film got involved in a lawsuit, and that all copies of the film were ordered destroyed?

B/W TRIPLE THREAT.......2001-05-10

AFTER SEEING (AND ENJOYING) SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, I THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING A COPY OF NOSFERATU (1922) (64 MIN) ON DVD. WHILE CHECKING OUT SEVERAL DIFFERENT VERSIONS TO SEE WHICH OFFERED MORE OPTIONS, I RAN ACROSS THIS EDITION THAT ALSO INCLUDES DER GOLEM (1920) (68 MIN) AND THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1921) (51 MIN). I'VE READ ABOUT AND SEEN PICTURES FROM ALL 3 OF THESE FILMS BUT HAD NEVER ACTUALLY VIEWED THEM. WHAT A TREAT IT WAS TO SEE THEM CONTAINED IN ONE PACKAGE ON 2 DVDs. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I BOUGHT IT AND ENJOYED THEM OVER THE NEXT 3 EVENINGS. THE APPROXIMATE TIMES I HAVE LISTED ABOVE FOR EACH OF THE FILMS ARE CLOSER TO CORRECT THEN THE ONES LISTED IN THE EDITION DETAILS... A VERY MINOR ERROR THAT SHOULD NOT DETER YOU FROM PICKING UP THIS CLASSIC BLACK AND WHITE TRIPLE THREAT FROM AN ERA GONE BY.

How bad do you want Der Golem?.......2001-02-18

I won't rehash what most people already know; two of these films are considered classics while the other is a well-respected but lesser known silent work. This three-pack was a big disappointment overall from a technical standpoint. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is basically unwatchable because the high contrast obliterates the details and bad framing destroys the picture composition. Also, the title cards have been replaced, and this version doesn't have any of the tinting.

Nosferatu fares a little better. The contrast is high but not unwatchable. More annoying here is transfer speed of 24 frames per minute, which makes the characters appear to be moving at super-human speed; this works okay for comedy but terrible for horror.

There are several versions of both the above films out on DVD and VHS; I hear good things about the Image Editions but haven't seen them. What isn't available anywhere else is Der Golem; the tale of the stone figure brought to life to protect a Jewish community. It stars Paul Wagner. The film has got a heavy contrast but with nothing to compare it to, I can't say if this is the fault of the source material or the transfer. This was the only film that doesn't have a musical score, which definately detracts from the film. The movie itself is good but not up to the level of Caligari or Nosferatu. Whether to buy this set or not ultimately rests with how bad you want this film.

Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema.......2000-08-09

The box set made by IMAGE (not ELITE) does not have all of the technical problems that Paul Kesler wrote of in his review.

Average customer rating:

Golem, the Spirit of Exile
Starring: Hanna Schygulla , Vittorio Mezzogiorno , Ophrah Shemesh , Samuel Fuller , and Mireille Perrier
Director: Amos Gitai
Manufacturer: Facets
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The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel

ASIN: B00005YK55
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Average customer rating:

a tangible experience
Not Really A Movie In The Literal Sense

Birth of a Golem
Starring: Dominique Sanda , Henri Alekan , Tonino Guerra , Adina Baron , and Annie Lennox
Director: Amos Gitai
Manufacturer: Facets
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

Golem, the Spirit of Exile
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ASIN: B00005YK44
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Customer Reviews:

a tangible experience.......2005-12-08

i, for one, was not initially familiar with the story of the golem (a story which i will not tell you here, though you would be adventurous to find out for yourself), however, i did not find that to be detrimental to my experience of the film. Told in montage, this film creates an experience which tells the story; there are layers of history, enlightenment and confusion punctuated by the central scene of the 'birth of a golem'. i found this film to be visceral and visually stimulating; it is a shame that more of Gitae's work is not yet available on DVD.

Not Really A Movie In The Literal Sense.......2004-04-17

This is an experimental film from the late 80s by Israeli documentary filmmaker Amos Gitai. Practically unwatchable save maybe for those who understand the subject manner. Annie Lennox's brief, unspoken, and uncredited appearance is perhaps most interesting in light of the photography exhibited on her latest album, "Bare" (2003).

Average customer rating:

Untangling the Mystery/Myth of Kabalistic Influences in Art

Golem: The Petrified Garden
Starring: Marisa Paredes , Bernard Eisenschitz , Philippe Garrel , Arcadi Grayomoskeiekov , and Yuri Klepikov
Director: Amos Gitai
Manufacturer: Facets
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Golem, the Spirit of Exile
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ASIN: B00005YRNV
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Customer Reviews:

Untangling the Mystery/Myth of Kabalistic Influences in Art.......2006-06-15

Filmed on location in Jerusalem, Paris, Moscow and St. Petersburg, this is an exciting and mysterious film. The cinematography within Russia is outstanding. The filming technique uses reality shots of unknown, unsuspecting Russian people to create scenes which enhance the story line. There are scenes of Russians going about their daily lives, street scenes, people on buses, riding taxis, and taking trains ... scenes that enhance and highly effectively build up suspense within the film. There is subtle humor in unexpected ways. The art dealer Daniel (Jerome Koenig) who is originally from New York but had moved to Israel, has a successful art gallery in Paris. He has uniquely humorous experiences in Russia as he tracks down an art collection he had inherited from an Uncle who died ...

The title "Golem" comes from a Jewish myth which means a creature brought to life by a rabbi or group of rabbis who know the secret word which breathes life into a man-made creation. The story unfolds as Daniel makes plans to visit Russia and get permission from the Russian Embassy to find and bring back the art collection, inherited from a deceased Uncle. He anticipates it is very valuable. He needs to tie up some loose ends in Paris with a partner Marsha (Hanna Schygulla) who runs his art gallery. Little does Daniel realize the region of Siberia called Biderbijon is where his Uncle lived. In the 1910s - 1920s Jews had settled there due to the promise of self-governance and autonomy, that is until the pogroms began by Stalin. The film gathers momentum as Daniel arrives in Russia and obtains the necessary paperwork to receive his inheritance. He finds the object ... a seven foot lower arm and hand from what would have been a giant statue. He imagines the immense value of this piece, knowing his Uncle had very excellent taste and knew great art.

The arrival in Russia when hailing a taxi was humorous, especially when the taxi driver who knew some English made some business propositions. Daniel was taken to the Russian Embasssy where other funny moments ocurred as he maneuvered through the bureacracy. After navigating the system, he finally obtained the art collection which turned out to be a seven foot statue of a forearm and right hand. There are hilarious scenes in the film when Daniel is taken to his hotel via taxi while the giant hand sits on a rack on roof of the taxi which makes the forefinger appear to be pointing ahead as if giving directions. Needless to say, it gets a lot of attention by passerbys. At the Russian hotel, the clerk knows very little English and Daniel knows even less Russian, he is told his room number is "979" on the fifth floor. Each floor has a receptionist and trying to locate his room was very funny. He received a visit from a mysterious lady who had heard about his statue, she offered to provide him information as she worked in an antiquities library ...

After this point in the story, the mystery deepens. Daniel learns about the Golem and suspects the hand and partial arm have some mysterious origins. He feels the need to visit Biderbijon, the Siberian town where his Uncle died and which was a Jewish settlement long ago. On the train ride to this remote location he meets a Russian who plays an important role in Daniel's understanding of his inherited piece of "artwork." After Daniel returns to Paris presumably with very valuabe art from Russia ... Marsha is astounded that he brings back touristy type trinkets, cheap Russian souveniers which she plays with as Daniel tells her about the unusual experiences he had in Russia and why he visited Biderbijon. The film is superbly crafted, it cleverly ties together the myth and mystery associated with the Kabala along with Jewish history, while it unravels a secret. Throughout the film, the viewer is hooked on the suspense while laughing at the humorous episodes within the Russian cultural context as Daniel, a foreigner, tries to achieve his objectives.
Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

Amos Gitai 4-DVD Collection 2 (Esther Forever / Berlin-Yerushalaim / Golem, l'Esprit de l'exil / Naissance d'un Golem) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Italy ]

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Amos Gitai 4-DVD Collection 2 (Esther Forever / Berlin-Yerushalaim / Golem, l'Esprit de l'exil / Naissance d'un Golem) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Italy ]
Director: Amos Gitai
Manufacturer: Raro Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

"Italy released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Hebrew (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), Italian (Subtitles), WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: Esther Forever : In this experimental film that deals metaphorically with Arab-Jewish relations in the Middle East, left-leaning director Amos Gitai uses Biblical history to comment on the current situation in Israel and its vicinity. This story deals in part with the Jewess Esther and how she managed to save her people from extermination after she became the wife of the king of Persia. Berlin-Yerushalaim (Berlin-Jerusalem): This difficult-to-follow arthouse film explores the parallel stories of two very idealistic Zionist women who never met in real life. The story concerns the German poet Elsa Lasker-Schuller and the Russian Mania Schochat. Elsa (Lisa Krezer) lives in 1920's Berlin as Germany is degenerating into the chaos from which Hitler will emerge. Mania (Rivka Neumann) is living in Palestine, amid some of the first and most rigorous experiments in genuinely Marxist living, at a radical kibbutz. Golem, l'Esprit de l'exil (Golem, The Spirit of the Exile): In modern-day Paris, a cabalist known as the Maharal has created a golem, an artificial being constructed of earth and clay, infused with spirit through the recitation of a special formula. The legendary being he brings to life is known in this instance as 'The Spirit of Exile,' and the magician's goal in creating her was to create a protector for Jews in need of one. Naissance d'un Golem (Birth of a Golem): In this exploration of the mythical Golem, former Eurythmics fromtwoman Annie Lennox and director Amos Gitai use the tale of the vengeful clay statue come to life as a parable for the creative process. SPECIAL FEATURES: Box Set, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Documentary, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Short Film, "

Le Golem De Montreal (Widescreen) A Film of Isabelle Hayeur - French Version Only with French Subtitle - Region 1

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Le Golem De Montreal (Widescreen) A Film of Isabelle Hayeur - French Version Only with French Subtitle - Region 1

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GGPQYS

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