The Golem is a 2018 Israeli period supernatural horror film directed by Doron and Yoav Paz, and written by Ariel Cohen. It stars Hani Furstenberg, Ishai Golan, Brynie Furstenberg, and Konstantin Anikienko.
Hanna is the wife of the rabbi's son in 17th century Lithuania. To protect the villagers from invaders threatening to ravage them during an outbreak of a deadly plague, she performs an ancient ritual to summon a powerful but dangerous creature. The village soon realizes, however, that what she has created becomes an even bigger threat to their community.
Not to be confused with the 1920 movie of the same name.
The Golem provides examples of:
- Ambiguous Situation: Is the golem Joseph resurrected or is it a man made construction who bears an uncanny resemblance to him?
- Anachronism Stew:
- Hanna is briefly seen taking a bath in a metal trough. Said trough should have been made of wood because the industrial revolution wouldn’t be for another two hundred years.
- Characters can be seen using kerosene lamps, but the story takes place in 1673 and kerosene lamps wouldn’t be invented until 1853.
- Vladimir uses a double barreled flintlock pistol, which wouldn’t be invented for another fifty years.
- Chekhov's Skill: Benjamin’s violin playing comes in handy.
- Creepy Child: The golem, taking the appearance of a human child, comes off as this.
- Dead Man's Chest: Perla, slain by the golem, is found dead in a trunk.
- Driven to Madness: Men have gone mad from reading the Kabbalah, according to Benjamin.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Vladimir threatens to burn the shtetl to the ground if his daughter dies of the plague.
- Excessive Mourning: Hanna is arguably engulfed in this as it’s been seven years since Joseph died, but the loss still feels new to her. She even refuses to try for any more children, contrary to Benjamin's wishes.
- Fairy Tale Motif: Directors Doran and Yaev Paz admitted that they borrowed elements from Frankenstein
- Fantasy Contraception: Hannah uses a tonic to prevent pregnancy, unbeknownst to her husband Benjamin.
- Golem: Hanna makes one, Joseph, to protect her village. She gets the results she wants and also a lot she doesn't want.
- Hollywood Costuming: The movie takes place in 1673 Lithuania, but the costumes are more accurate to the late 1800's.
- Men Are the Expendable Gender: The majority of deaths that appear onscreen are male.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Hanna and Benjamin outlive their only child, Joseph.
- Plague Doctor: Given the Black Death running rampant, this is a given.
- Put on a Bus: Rebecca is smuggled out of the village to see a doctor after the assault at her wedding and she isn’t seen or mentioned on screen.
- Pyrrhic Victory: Thanks to the golem, Vladimir and his men were defeated, but it cost many casualties.
- Redheaded Hero: Hanna is red headed.
- Ritual Magic: Hanna uses this to conjure a golem.
- Rule of Symbolism: The number seven is prominent.
- The Scapegoat: Vladimir accuses the shtetl of giving his people the plague, claiming that none of them have contracted it.
- Shipping Torpedo: The local rabbi tries to persuade his son, Benjamin, to divorce Hanna because Joseph died and they’ve been without issue since.
- Shotgun Wedding: Hanna’s sister, Rebecca, is newly pregnant when she marries, though she miscarries after the assault at her wedding-and it’s unclear whether Rebecca knew she was pregnant before the wedding.
- Wedding Smashers: Rebecca's wedding is promptly interrupted by Vladimir and his thugs.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Joseph calls out Hanna for sabotaging their efforts to start a family and lying about it for years.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Hanna quickly grows attached to the golem.
