A British adaptation of a famous story that has since lapsed into obscurity, THE WANDERING JEW strives to be a lush historical epic but in fact it feels long-winded and dragged out. The story is about a man who is cursed to eternal life, and adopts the following format: the wayfarer travels to a community, is involved in the events, finally exposed, and forced to move on to the next place. There's no real character arc or insight here; events are just portrayed 'as is'.
It's a dated affair that feels rather yawn-worthy, unfortunately. The epic scenes have dated in the worst way and the crowd shots all feel rather theatrical. The religious aspects to the storyline were also dull and old-fashioned. The main draw for me was the chance to see German actor Conrad Veidt (of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI fame) in his first English-speaking part, although he's hidden behind flowing robes, make-up, and a straggly beard for the running time. The ending is abrupt and the whole film feels like it has little to say despite best intentions.
It's a dated affair that feels rather yawn-worthy, unfortunately. The epic scenes have dated in the worst way and the crowd shots all feel rather theatrical. The religious aspects to the storyline were also dull and old-fashioned. The main draw for me was the chance to see German actor Conrad Veidt (of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI fame) in his first English-speaking part, although he's hidden behind flowing robes, make-up, and a straggly beard for the running time. The ending is abrupt and the whole film feels like it has little to say despite best intentions.