Golem

This Polish film looks nice. The use of color filters offers a standout look. Much of the film is bathed in yellow and red light. The look reminds me a little of the Russian science fiction films Letters from a Dead Man and Stalker. The latter is particularly noteworthy since director Piotr Szulkin clearly admires Andrei Tarkovsky. Unfortunately, this variation on the golem story is a slog to watch.

The confusing plot begins with the protagonist, Pernat, at a police station being interrogated about a murdered neighbor who lived in the same apartment building. Pernat seems confused about much of his past but because there is no evidence the police free the man. However, when he goes to collect his personal effects, he is given someone else's hat and coat by the unconcerned clerk. When Pernat returns home, the viewer is introduced to the other people who live in the building. They are all eccentrics. The rest of the film has the hero bouncing from one tenant to the next, finding all social relations difficult. Every now and then, the story is interrupted by a group of scientists discussing a project that went wrong. That is about it for plot. The viewer waits for something more sinister to develop, and waits, and waits. . . .

Almost nothing happens in this film. The director shows his various influences, Franz Kafka, Andrei Tarkovsky, the Tarot deck, and the legend of the golem, but the director fails to tell a coherent story. Sure, the film looks nice. Too bad it does not go anywhere.