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Le Golem
The Golem: The Legend of Prague
The Man of Stone
France / Czechoslovakia 1936
produced by Frank Kassler, Charles Philipp, Josef Stein for AB
directed by Julien Duvivier
starring Harry Baur, Roger Karl, Charles Dorat, Roger Duchesne, Raymond Aimos, Gaston Jacquet, Ferdinand Hart, Germaine Aussey, Jany Holt, Tania Doll (= Truda Grosslichtová), Ernst Reicher, Alfred Bastýr, Julien Carette, Jan Cerný, Marcel Dalio, Frantisek Jerhot, Antonín Jirsa, F.X. Mlejnek, Stanislav Neumann, Robert Ozanne, Karel Schleichert, Walter Schorsch
screenplay by André-Paul Antoine, Julien Duvivier, Josef Kodícek, based on the play by George Voskovec, Jan Werich, music by Coumoc (= George Andreani)
Golem
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Prague, some time in the late 16th/early 17th century: Emperor Rudolf
II (Harry Baur) has by now gone quite mad, something everybody in his
inner circle, especially his chancellor Lang (Roger Karl) and his mistress
Comtessa Strada (Germaine Aussey), uses to further their own agenda. His
madness is the most evident in his oppression of the Jews, and he doesn't
shy away from throwing them to the lions. But he also knows the Jews have
a secret weapon, the Golem (Ferdinand Hart), a monster made from clay
created by the deceased Rabbi Loew. Rudolf wants to get his hands on the
Golem to prevent him from wreaking havoc - but nobody knows where the
Golem might be hidden, nobody but Rabbi Jacob (Charles Dorat). Now after
much intrigue, Rudolf has Rabbi Jacob captures and threatens to throw him
to the lions should he not disclose the Golem's whereabouts - by which
time the Rabbi's wife (Jany Holt) activates the Golem, and the Golem is
quick to go on his usual path of destruction ... Now one can't
deny, this film looks just marvelous, its often expressionist sets are
great, and director Julien Duvivier sure knows how to integrate his actors
into them for full effect. So at least on a visual level, one won't be
disappointed, and this film actually deserves more attention on this front
than it presently gets. Unfortunately, on a narrative level Le Golem
leaves much to be desired, it tells a way too convoluted story with much
intrigue but little suspense that makes the film's less than 90 minute
running time seem much longer, while little is done in terms of character
work as all the characters feel just like walking clichés. That said,
it's still a film that most certainly deserves a watch - but at the same
time it's one that leaves quite a bit to be desired.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
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all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
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