Based on a legend in Jewish mysticism, in 16th-century Prague community leader and astrologer Rabbi Loew foresees doom for the Jews. When the emperor decrees a pogrom of the Jewish ghetto, Loew moulds a forbidding clay golem (Wegener) to save his people. Loew invokes a demon spirit to retrieve a magic word that he places in an amulet on the creature's chest. Once the word is positioned, the giant wedge-haired automaton lives. Danger ensues, however, when Loew's assistant, Famulus, uses the golem to settle a score with Florian, a knight who has stolen his sweetheart, Miriam. The Golem's influence on future horror films was significant, particularly James Whale's Frankenstein. Wegener's distorted sets and chiaroscuro lighting, complemented by Karl Freund's expert photography, make the film an excellent example of German Expressionism.
| Directed by | Carl Boese, Paul Wegener |
| Written by | Henrik Galeen, Paul Wegener |