This film is currently unavailable
The Wandering Jew
After spitting on Christ on the way to crucifixion, a Jewish man is cursed with immortality
Director: Maurice Elvey
Overview
Conrad Veidt stars as Matathias, a Jewish man who, after spitting on Christ en route to his crucifixion, is doomed to walk the earth until the Second Coming. After two passages - one set during the Crusades, the other in Mediaeval Italy - Matathias is offered redemption during the Spanish Inquisition. The opening and closing segments are particularly haunting, and Veidt is excellent as the antihero. This was the second film based on E. Temple Thurston’s play, which had previously been adapted for a silent version in 1923, also directed by Maurice Elvey.
The representation of Christ is imaginatively depicted; the viewer never sees him, and his words are conveyed silently, through words that appear eerily on screen. The last chapter features the screen debut of Peggy Ashcroft. Despite Matathias’ heroism in the final scenes, the portrayal of the Jew as arrogant and adulterous in the Jerusalem chapter led to the film being heavily cut before its US release.
Related
Timestalker Timestalker
Comedy 2024 89 mins Director: Alice Lowe
What if unrequited love spanned the centuries? Alice Lowe's time-jumping fantasy rom-com is a colourful, darkly funny treat.
The BFG The BFG
Children's 2016 117 mins Director: Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s luminous Roald Dahl adaptation boasts an enchanting performance from Mark Rylance as the Big Friendly Giant who befriends a little girl (Ruby Barnhill).
Lost River Lost River
Fantasy 2013 95 mins Director: Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut is a disturbing, visually experimental fairytale about a single mother drawn into a nightmarish netherworld.
The Beast The Beast
Fantasy 2022 145 mins Director: Bertrand Bonello
Léa Seydoux wanders through a maze of past, present and uncertain future in Bertrand Bonello’s audacious blend of period drama and conceptual crystal-gazing.
La Chimera La Chimera
Action and Adventure 2023 132 mins Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Alice Rohrwacher’s fascinating new drama finds Josh O’Connor’s fish out of water delving into the world of stolen artefacts.
The Queen of Spades The Queen of Spades
Fantasy 1949 95 mins Director: Thorold Dickinson
Thorold Dickinson's most dazzling success, based on Pushkin’s 1834 tale of black magic and gambling.
The Small World of Sammy Lee The Small World of Sammy Lee
Drama 1963 107 mins Director: Ken Hughes
Seedy Soho strip-club compere Sammy (Anthony Newley) races to escape the heavies who hunt him in this gritty, engrossing 1960s London thriller.
Orthodox Orthodox
Drama 2016 94 mins Director: David Leon
Stephen Graham is the orthodox Jew tempted into a life of violence by his corrupt associate (Michael Smiley), in this riveting and complex crime drama.
The Bespoke Overcoat The Bespoke Overcoat
Fantasy 1955 38 mins Director: Jack Clayton
A clerk in a cold warehouse wants one of the warm sheepskin coats stacked around him.
Simon Magus Simon Magus
Drama 2000 115 mins Director: Ben Hopkins
Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) stars as an outcast accused of sorcery by his fellow 19th-century villagers, in Ben Hopkins' rich and haunting allegory.
Suzie Gold Suzie Gold
Romance 2004 90 mins Director: Ric Cantor
Girl meets goy: a Jewish princess must decide between a Jew and a gentile in this light-hearted romantic comedy
Britain's Jews Britain's Jews
1965 26 mins Silent Director: Peter Robinson
Jewish people offer their opinions on assimilation, identity and traditional religious observance in 1960s Britain
I Was a Spy I Was a Spy
War 1933 91 mins Director: Victor Saville
A nurse who doubles as a spy in German-occupied Belgium attracts the attentions of a German commandant.
Rome Express Rome Express
Thriller 1933 91 mins Director: Walter Forde
A star-studded international cast boards the Paris-Rome express for this lavish comedy-thriller from Gainsborough Pictures.
Fun at St. Fanny's Fun at St. Fanny's
Comedy 1955 80 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
Ronnie Corbett features in this quick-fire vintage classroom caper, featuring enough old jokes to fill a Christmas cracker factory.
What Every Woman Wants What Every Woman Wants
Drama 1954 88 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
The trials and tribulations of 1950s working class family life are engagingly evoked in this warm-hearted drama of urban England.
The Great Game The Great Game
Comedy 1952 77 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
Goals and glamour go together in this high-scoring drama of football league corruption with Thora Hird, Diana Dors and John Laurie.
Happiness of Three Women Happiness of Three Women
Comedy 1954 79 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
The Wishing Well Inn in rural Wales is the bustling centre of love and intrigue in this charming romance starring Petula Clarke.
No Other Land No Other Land
Documentary 2024 92 mins Director: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
This powerful documentary from a Palestinian-Israeli collective might be one of the most important films of this year.
Small Things Like These Small Things Like These
Drama 2024 99 mins
Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy delivers a stunning performance as a coal merchant who discovers horrific secrets about his local convent.
Only the River Flows Only the River Flows
Crime 2023 102 mins Director: Shujun Wei
Shujun Wei's slow-burn noir draws us inexorably into its mysterious psychological journey.
The Critic The Critic
Period drama 2023 101 mins Director: Anand Tucker
Ian McKellen is in delicious form as London's most vicious critic, who strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actor (Gemma Arterton).
Special People Special People
Comedy 2008 74 mins Director: Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar's pioneering feature comedy about a neurotic filmmaker enlisted to make a film with a class of wheelchair-users.
Timestalker Timestalker
Comedy 2024 89 mins Director: Alice Lowe
What if unrequited love spanned the centuries? Alice Lowe's time-jumping fantasy rom-com is a colourful, darkly funny treat.