I saw a weird movie this weekend--Der Golem. It's a silent film and an early example of German Expressionism. It's also one of the first monster movies. The basic story is that the Jews in Prague are being persecuted, and one rabbi decides to call up a demon to get the secret word to bring the Golem to life. The Golem, by the way, is just a clay statue. The Rabbi places the secret word in a pentagram-shaped phylactery on the Golem's chest to bring him to life. Removing the phylactery will turn him back into a statue. First, the Golem is nice and does many odd jobs for the Rabbi. Then the Rabbi brings the Golem to the Emporer. When the Golem saves the emporer's life, the Jews are spared. But soon after, the Golem turns evil because the power of his life comes from a demon. He runs rampant throughout the town because nobody can remove the phylactery. Then, after the Golem breaks the city gates, he meets some young children playing. He is filled with kindness, and picks up one of the children, who, out of curiosity, removes the pentagram. The day is saved.

The ending really reminds me of the scene in Frankenstein (1931) with the little girl picking flowers. I wonder if that scene, where the monster throws the girl into the lake, is a response to the final scene in Der Golem (1920), where a child saves the day.