THE GOLEM by Paul Wegener & Henrik Galeen

Paul Wegener and Henrik Galeen shot two versions of The Golem. One in 1914 (which was lost) and one in 1920. The Golem is a statue that comes to life and who, by command of the rabbi, defends the jewish people of the ghetto of Prague. He will nevertheless rise up against the emperor but also against the rabbi, his maker. The Golem however doesn’t look like other humanoids or fantastical creatures from genre cinema. He can only do something when his master commands him to. He is not the outcome of scientific experiments led by mad scholars. He is the product of the intangible thoughts of a suppressed religion. He cries for revolution while other monsters from the fantastical cinema are rather reactionary. They punish man for his hubris.