An iconic early horror masterpiece, Der Golem was Paul Wegener’s third attempt at adapting the Golem character for the big screen. Starring and co-directing with Carl Boese, Wegener crafted one of silent cinema’s most enduring masterpieces.
In the Jewish ghetto in 16th century Prague, Rabbi Low (Albert Streinruck, Asphalt) creates a forbidding clay Golem (played by director Paul Wegener) to protect his people from the tyrannical Emperor Luhois (Otto Gebuhr). Brought to life with a demon spirit and an amulet placed in the center of the creature’s chest, the Golem is a seemingly indestructible juggernaut, performing acts of great heroism. But when the Rabbi’s assistant attempts to control the Golem for selfish gain, it becomes a terrifying force of destruction, rampaging through the ghetto leaving fire and death in its wake.
A landmark film in the horror canon, influencing most notably James Whale’s 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein, Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam is also a pre-eminent example of German Expressionism, and an important contribution to the golden age of Weimar Cinema. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film in it’s UK debut on Blu-ray from a brand new 4K restoration.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Presented in 1080p from a stunning 4K digital restoration of the original film negatives, completed by FWMS in 2017.
Original German intertitles with optional English subtitles
Option of THREE fantastic and unique scores, by composer Stephen Horne; acclaimed electronic music producer Wudec; and musician and film-score composer Admir Shkurtaj
Brand new and exclusive audio commentary by Scott Harrison
Brand new and exclusive video essay by critic David Cairns
Brand new and exclusive video essay by filmmaker Jon Spira (Elstree 1976)
• The Golem [60 mins]– The US version of the film, also fully restored, and featuring a score by Cordula Heth
A video piece highlighting the differences between the domestic and export negatives of the film [22 mins]
PLUS: A collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Scott Harrison; and reprints of illustrations from the original 1915 novel
