The Golem

"Golem" (German. Der Golem, 1915) — a feature film by Henrik Galeen and Paul Wegener 1915, created based on the Hebrew legend of the Golem, a clay figure animated by magic. The film premiered in Germany on January 15, 1915.

The film spawned a long tradition of versions and remakes.

Officially, it is believed that the film has not been preserved (according to other sources, it has been preserved). There is a video on YouTube with four minutes of the film (out of 60).

Wegener claimed that the film is based on a novel Gustav Meyrink's 1915 "Golem", but since the film has little in common with existing Jewish traditions, Troy Howarth states that "it is more likely that (the screenwriters) simply relied on European folklore" or perhaps it was this novel that inspired the filmmakers.

The action takes place in Prague of the beginning of the XX century. Workers digging a well near the ruins of a synagogue find an ancient clay statue and bring it to an antiquarian, who manages to revive the idol with the help of spells from an ancient book. The golem becomes the antique dealer's servant and executes his orders. Then he meets the daughter of an antique dealer and falls in love with her. But the girl is afraid of him. This enrages the Golem and it gets out of control. In the finale, he manages to be deprived of the amulet that kept him alive, and the Golem breaks into pieces, falling from the tower to the pavement.

According to the plot, the golem is an ancient clay statue that is found by workers digging a well near the ruins of a synagogue. She is revived with the help of spells from an ancient book. The golem becomes the antique dealer's servant and executes his orders.

The creature is capable of experiencing feelings and even falls in love with its master's daughter.

You can kill a creature if you deprive it of the amulet that keeps it alive.