[Narrator] When telling
the story of our people,
it's impossible to separate
the truth from the myth.
[ominous music]
Our story begins long ago
in the old city of Prague.
[door opening]
Throughout history our people
have been demonized.
Persecuted.
Until one day, our holiest
rabbi,
the Maharal,
reaching deep into the darkest
depths of the Kaballah,
gave the breath of
life to a God-like creation.
[heavy breathing]
[growling]
[footsteps]
[growling]
Shhh.
Shhh.
Calm down.
Calm down.
[growling]
Shhhh.
[growl]
Open your mouth.
[growling]
Shhhh.
Shhhh.
[speaking Hebrew]
[dramatic orchestral music]
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
[speaking Hebrew]
Child!
Leave! Leave now!
[monster roaring]
But when a man tries to play
God,
the darkness awakens.
[blood splattering]
And so it did.
[roaring]
[uncomfortable groan]
[Perla] We're done.
You can get up now.
[Hanna]
Thank you so much for your help.
Your seven bad years are over,
Hanna.
It's time for your seven good
ones.
Thank you, Perla.
[melancholy music]
[Rabbi Horowitz] Our world
is built upon broken vessels,
and man is the same.
[wood creaking]
Out of darkness, cometh light.
Out of death, springeth life.
Out of ruin, riseth redemption.
Our bodies are perishable,
transient...
But our spirit is eternal.
And there is the paradox.
Can anyone name the elements
that combine the Star of David,
and represent man, body, and
soul.
We're all scholars here,
Isn't there a saint among
sinners?
[people mumbling]
[heay sigh]
[speaking Hebrew]
[speaking Hebrew]
All of these elements together
represent the creation of man.
And are mentioned in the holy
Kabbalah.
- Merkabah.
- As "merkabah."
Three dimensional Star of David.
Alright, we will pick this up
after we have something to eat.
[Rabbi Horowitz]
Do you have food, Benjamin?
[Benjamin]
Hanna brought me a meal.
[Rabbi Horowitz] Benjamin.
It'll be seven years since...
At this point, you have every
right
to cast her away.
And start fresh
with a woman who will do her
duty.
I'm not casting away my wife,
Father.
[Rabbi Horowitz] As you wish.
[children playing]
How's my little wolfling today?
[howling]
You know, you're very scary.
[growls]
How have you all been doing?
[Sarah] Thank the Lord.
Would you like to come in?
The children would love the
company of a man in the house.
Thank you,
but I think Hanna has probably
prepared something.
[praying in Hebrew]
[Hanna] Thank you for the book.
[Benjamin]
It's the last time, Hanna.
Kabbalah is far too dangerous.
They say any man just reading
these
texts could lose his mind, or
worse.
Let alone...
A woman?
I'm sorry.
I just don't want you to get
hurt.
You've been through enough.
[heavy sighing]
[Benjamin] May this act
grant us in our time a child.
Baby boy.
[Benjamin] Amen. [Hanna] Amen.
Where you going?
To study.
Hanna.
God's here, he's around you.
In people, in life itself.
[Benjamin playing the violin]
The combination of the sacred
letters hide in the holy Torah.
The holy verses Moses
used to part the Red Sea.
Merkabah.
Creation of man.
[Hanna] Be careful of the rocks!
Sister, be careful!
[Hanna laughing]
[Rebecca] Come on!
[speaking Hebrew]
You are now purified.
I wish Momma and Poppa were
still
here to see you getting married.
They'll be watching from up
above.
Along with your little Joseph,
God rest his soul.
[crow caws]
I'm sorry.
We should head back now.
[Hanna] Let's go.
[Hanna] We're too close to
where the gentiles live.
[dark ominous music]
That's the plague, starting
to spread again.
[Benjamin] Whoa.
[melancholy music]
[happy music]
[Rabbi Horowitz]
Rebecca and Jacob.
Be fruitful and multiply.
Replenish the earth like seeds.
With many children.
[Crowd] Amen!
Now the bride will circle
the groom seven times.
The number seven symbolizes
the perfection of creation.
And so the couple shall become
one.
Under the HUPA and united.
[intense orchestral music]
[dog barking]
[crowd murmuring]
One by one,
my people are dropping like
flies,
while your kind is out
celebrating.
Please,
this is my wedding!
And you're putting us all at
risk!
[Jacob] Rebecca!
[Rabbi Horowitz]
What is the meaning of this?
[Jacob] Hold my hand.
This girl is my eldest.
And you,
you cannot fight us like men,
so you kill us like rats.
Cursing us with your dirty
spells.
We have no part in your
precious child taking ill.
This plague didn't reach us
because
we are isolated in this village.
God giveth, and God taketh.
[Jacob] Hanna, don't.
[Village Woman]
Oh no, oh not this! No!
[Vladimir]
Unless you reverse your spells,
and save my daughter,
I will show you
and your God,
who is in charge.
[Perla] Give her to me.
I am a healer.
If you bring her to my house,
I will help her.
[Svetlana] Papa!
[Vladimir] Until my daughter
is cured, no one leaves!
Anyone we catch outside the
village
will be executed.
[Jacob] Are you okay?
[people murmuring]
[Rabbi Horowitz]
This is a sign. We must repent.
Embrace his will.
May his name be praised.
And pray...
Pray with all we have.
With reverence.
To that end, I am hereby
declaring three days of mourning.
[Hanna] We should fight back.
I mean no disrespect, Rabbi.
But besides prayer there are
other things which can be done.
We must use our strongest force.
You suggest hitting them over
the head with our prayer books?
With the wisdom of the holy
Kabbalah.
A woman, speaking of Kabbalah
wisdom.
Wonders truly never cease.
We could use the 72 sacred
letters of God,
along with the hidden code
inside the book of creation
and create ourselves a go...
Golem?
[Rabbi Horowitz] You clearly
have no idea of what you speak!
How do you even know about that
book,
and the sacred letters of God?
I wouldn't attempt
to control the
tremendous force
of the Kabbalah.
It has been done before.
Who do you suggest
might create this creature?
Moses himself, perhaps.
I will.
You propose to create a Golem,
when you can't even give my son
a child?
We have to stand up for ourselves!
Go home, Hanna!
Just go home.
[labored breathing]
Remember.
Fail...
and I will burn this place to
the ground.
Keep going.
[men praying in Hebrew in the
distance]
Lord, oh Lord.
Merciful, ruthful Lord.
We beseech thee,
save this ailing child.
Send a heavenly cure.
"And all the people of the
Earth"
shall see that thou art called
"by the name of the Lord."
- Amen...
- Amen!
- Amen...
- Amen!
- Amen...
- Amen!
- Amen...
- Amen!
- Amen...
- Amen!
[swelling orchestral music]
Go home, Jew!
[somber strings]
[woman sobbing]
Rebecca.
What have they done to you?
I was pregnant.
But I lost it, Hanna.
I lost my baby.
You will sneak her out of the
village.
She needs a doctor.
I lost it, Hanna.
[intense orchestral music]
The 72 sacred letters of God
are hidden in the Torah.
In order to reveal the code,
one must use the power
of the holy merkabah.
The holy merkabah combines all of
the kabbalistic elements together
representing the creation of
man.
[speaking Hebrew]
[speaking Hebrew]
[speaking Hebrew]
The 72 sacred letters come
together
to create the hidden name of
God.
In order to create a Golem,
one must use virgin, unploughed
soil,
from a mountain or forest.
The hidden name of God.
Let there be life.
[ominous horns]
[Hanna] Joseph! No!
[Hanna] Please! Joseph!
[Hanna] Joseph! No!
[bell jingling]
[bell jingling]
[running footsteps]
[rustling]
[ominous strings]
Shhhh.
Shhhh.
Please be well, child.
[men's laughter]
[somber strings]
[distant thunder]
She made this for me.
Svetlana.
My little one.
She's a strong girl.
With God's help, she'll be well
again.
I'm doing everything I can.
Please.
Have mercy on our village.
[ominous orchestral music]
Nobody stays outside!
Stay in your home!
[sighs]
[bell ringing]
Hanna, where are you going?
[footsteps]
Hanna.
[bell ringing]
[object falling]
[bell ringing]
Benjamin?
You haven't been up in the attic, have you?
The trunk...
What is this?
How long have you been...?
Benjamin, please.
My God.
I'm so sorry.
I couldn't bear the thought
of losing another child.
Benjamin, you can't leave.
Benjamin, look at... stop...
We need to talk...
It's been seven years.
Seven years since our boy died.
This whole time,
you've been lying to me?
For seven years?
Preventing us from having
children,
from becoming a family again?
Benjamin...
You've never been to Joseph's
grave.
Never left so much as a
rock on his headstone.
Never shed a tear.
Benjamin, please.
You don't think losing him broke
me, too?
I'm done, Hanna.
I can't stand the sight of you always
with your head in a bloody book.
Escaping life, escaping reality.
However much you study, however
many Kabbalah books you read,
you will never get an answer
to why God took our son.
Because there isn't one.
You are a woman.
A giver of life.
God has assigned you a calling
and you are refusing it.
[Benjamin]
You should be ashamed.
[door opening]
[door closing]
[bell jingling]
[creature growling]
[frightened horse neighing]
[frightened horse neighing]
Shhh.
[bell jingling]
[bell jingling]
[bell jingling]
[rustling, dog howling]
[twigs snapping]
[rustling]
[twigs snapping]
[grunting]
[Sergei] Stop, you!
[Sergei] You have been told
not to leave the village.
[intense strings]
[rustling]
[melancholy music]
I'll come back soon.
[door closing]
[praying in Hebrew]
[Sarah] Benjamin.
[footsteps]
What's wrong?
Where did you get that?
It's time to fight back.
Are you with me?
You fire one shot
and all hell will break loose.
[Benjamin] They won't leave a
single one of us standing.
She was pregnant.
Rebecca was pregnant.
A golem is to be only used for
protection.
For the greater good of all.
A golem can evolve.
[bell jingling]
[Hanna] Here.
[Hanna]
This used to be my son's.
[Hanna] Joseph.
[Hanna]
He would have been your age.
[bell ringing]
[Hanna] It used to comfort
him when he was upset.
Don't be afraid. It's only
thunder.
I'll be right inside the house.
[distant thunder]
[Perla] Hanna?
What is this boy?
I have done it.
I've created a golem.
[Perla]
Child, what have you done?
This boy saved me.
He took on a handful of
men with his bare hands...
It is a heartless monster,
and we must take it back from whence
it came before it is too late.
He is our protector.
Our savior.
You have created a pact
with the sitra-achra.
We have no choice.
You will never be able to heal
that girl.
It is only a matter of time
before Vladmir and his men
kill us all and burn our
village to the ground.
[creature growling]
You and I, we have crossed paths
before.
[Perla]
I saw it all when I was a child.
I saw you destroy our enemies,
but also the ones we loved.
[creature roaring]
Promise me,
as soon as Vladimir is gone,
you take that parchment out of
its mouth,
and put an end to this golem
child.
I promise.
It will never die like the rest
of us.
[door closing]
[Hanna humming]
[singing in Hebrew]
[Vladimir]
This is the last time you leave
without my daughter standing on
her feet.
[singing in Hebrew]
[Hanna] We need to get
you some real clothes.
[ominous music]
[creature growling]
[creature growling]
[peaceful music]
[music becomes ominous]
[both gasp]
[both gasp]
It's going to be cold tonight.
You can sleep here, inside the
house.
[Benjamin] Mmm.
It's delicious.
[Benjamin] Just the way
God intended it to be.
Ahh, are you sure that's
all I can get you?
Yes. Thank you.
[Benjamin]
I should get back to prayer.
I'm sorry, I can't.
She still has your heart.
Thank you.
[Sarah] Good night.
[bell jingling]
[bell jingling]
[bell jingling]
[stab, bell jingling]
[bell jingling]
[Hanna] Joseph!
[Hanna] No!
[Hanna] Please!
[Hanna] Joseph!
[Hanna] Joseph!
[Hanna] No!
[women wailing]
[Village Man] You're safe.
[Village Man] It's okay.
[woman crying]
[Hanna] Abigail?
They're animals.
[Benjamin] They're wild animals!
Jacob!
Jacob!
[men praying in Hebrew]
It's time.
[Rabbi Horowitz] Benjamin!
[intense strings]
This is not our way, son.
It is now.
[Rabbi Horowitz]
I'm warning you.
[Rabbi Horowitz] Benjamin!
[wet thud]
No.
[melancholy music]
[creature growling]
[intense orchestral music]
[Ivan] What do you want?
[Benjamin] You're murderers! We
want you out of our village, now.
No one's going anywhere.
[Vladimir]
Where's your gun now, Jew?
[creature growling]
[Svetlana] Papa?
Stop!
Take your daughter,
and get off our land.
Now!
[melancholy music]
[villagers whispering]
[Benjamin] Shhh.
[Benjamin] We buried Jacob.
[Hanna] Stay still.
[Benjamin] You were right.
We should've stood up for
ourselves from the beginning.
I'm sorry.
You're here now,
that's all that matters.
[bell jingling]
He won't hurt us, right?
Of course not.
He's here to protect us.
[creature growling]
[Hanna] Join us.
[crying out in pain]
What's wrong?
I'm fine.
He loves music.
You should play for him.
[mournful melody]
This music tells the story of
our people.
Our happiness.
Our sadness.
Our most sacred moments.
Our lives.
Our deaths.
[Hanna] Sweet dreams.
Thank you for the dinner.
My pleasure.
You don't have to go.
[door opening]
[trapdoor opening]
In the name of the Lord I
command thee,
return to the Earth.
Ashes to ashes,
dust to dust.
In the name of the Lord,
[Perla] I command thee,
return to the Earth.
[creature growling]
[bell ringing]
[Benjamin] Hanna!
What is it?
We have to get out of here.
What are you talking about?
It killed Perla.
Probably Sarah, too.
[Benjamin] It is no savior.
It is a monster.
A demon.
He's just a little boy.
There's no evil in him.
No.
Hanna, it must be killed.
Nobody's killing anyone here.
[Hanna] Benjamin, come to bed.
Father.
[Benjamin]
Father, we have to save Hanna.
[Benjamin] The golem...
He kills innocents.
[Benjamin] He killed Perla.
I saw it with my own eyes.
Gather ten loyal men,
form a minyan.
[Rabbi Horowitz]
We'll destroy him,
[Rabbi Horowitz]
with the Pulsa Denoura.
[woman weeping]
[ominous music]
[men shouting]
[violin playing]
[violin continues]
[violin continues]
[mournful melody]
[door opening]
[praying in Hebrew]
[men chanting in Hebrew]
[Hanna] No!
No!
No!
[cries out in pain]
No!
Let me in! Let me in!
[Hanna] Let me in!
Let me in!
Let me in!
Don't kill my boy!
Don't kill him!
[shofar playing]
[horse neighing]
[men chanting in Hebrew]
Joseph.
[creature growling]
Benjamin, don't stop!
[creature growling]
[creature growling]
[horse neighing]
[villagers screaming]
[labored breathing]
[bell jingling]
[bell jingling closer]
[Benjamin] Hanna.
[Benjamin] That's not our son.
[Benjamin]
Our son is dead, Hanna.
[Benjamin] Please.
Hanna, please!
My... my beautiful Joseph.
My... my beautiful Joseph.
[Hanna] You will always
be my little boy,
and I will always love you.
Hanna.
I'm gonna have to let you go
now.
Rest in peace, my baby.
[creature gasping for air]
[Hanna sobbing]
[melancholy violin music]