Golem (1980)

Set in the near future after a nuclear holocaust, Golem is a re-telling of the classic folktale about a clay man brought to life with magic spells stuffed into his mouth. However, the golem of Piotr Szulkin's Golem is not a man of clay, but a genetically engineered man designed by scientists with which they hope to re-populate the world. The specific golem in question is the test subject Pernat. In the beginning he is being interrogated by the police regarding a murder in his apartment building, but is then set free to return to his life. People in the streets accost him, and seem to know more about him than he does. Meanwhile, the scientists continue their observations of Pernat, with one wanting him to be a perfect member of the collective, and the other the perfect individual. The word Kafkaesque has been used to describe this film, and it certainly applies, but Golem also brings to mind the works of Terry Gilliam, and Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who were no doubt inspired by Szulkin's sepia-toned expressionistic style future. While this is a film of startling vision and dark satire, it does feel like there is a masterpiece in here waiting to break out that never quite does. The central contradiction at the heart of the story is that Pernat's creators feel he is not human enough, when he really acts just like a regular person. It is everyone else around him who is crazy. But when compared to other films exploring the same idea, the point here is a bit muddled. And the pacing is another issue, there are moments of brilliance, and then long stretches of dialogue-driven scenes. It all plays out rather awkwardly. But the overall design and ideas presented here make up for the shortcomings, leading Golem to earn its place among the classics of philosophical science fiction.