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A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Wandering Jew remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for old-school, heavy-handed historical dramas, sure. If you get bored by movies that feel like a Sunday school lesson mixed with a stage play, probably skip it.
It’s the kind of film that feels like it has a very long beard. It is very earnest, and at times, kind of exhausting to sit through.
Conrad Veidt is, obviously, the whole reason you’d even bother hitting play. He carries this thing like he’s carrying the weight of the actual world on his shoulders. There’s a specific scene where he looks at the camera and you just feel like he’s seen too much stuff, and I don't mean just the plot.
The pacing is… well, it’s a marathon. You move through different eras and continents so fast that you barely get to know anyone before they vanish into the history books. It lacks the grounded, human scale of something like The Pen Vulture, where the stakes feel personal instead of cosmic.
It’s strange how it tries to be this grand, sweeping epic, but it feels smaller than the tiny drama found in Ruined by Love. Maybe it’s the curse, maybe it’s just the script trying to cover too much ground. Either way, the middle section drags enough to make you check your phone.
Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a fascinating relic of a guy trying to be everywhere at once? Absolutely. Don’t expect a light watch, and definitely don’t expect to remember half the supporting cast by the time the credits roll. ⏳