Die Nibelungen (1924) Directed by Fritz Lang

 

Die Nibelungen is a 2 part film, almost 5 hours long, that tells the story Siegfried in the first part who rises to legendary status by killing a dragon on his way to find the love of his life who he has only heard of in a tale told by a story teller in the place he learned to forge swords. By the end of part one he has married and been betrayed by his best friend. The second part is the story of Kriemhild, his wife, taking revenge on her brother the king and everyone else even peripherally involved in the murder. 

I won't spoil too much as even though this film is legendary I don't feel many people have sat through it all - either seeing the first part only (the dragon part) or just seeing clips about it. To be honest I do understand the idea of sitting through a 5 hour silent film seems like a punishment to many people but they are WRONG. This is a prize, an epic fantastic journey with stunning visuals, great performances, effects and sets that will amaze you. 

The pacing is not as fast as a modern film, but so what? Almost every frame is mesmerizing. Siegfried is the iconic muscular, blonde hero who will be copied throughout future films and the story covers a lot of ground from his modest start to his finding of the the treasures of Die Nibelungen in the dwarves underground layer to his epic fight with the dragon after which he bathes in it's blood to become invincible, only to be foiled when I leaf lands on his back blocking the blood and giving him a vulnerable spot. To win the woman of dreams, he helps the king wed his, the formidable Brunhild by using an invisibility device to secretly aid the king to beat her in 3 competitions of strength and battle. Brunhild leaps from one end of the set to the other in a way that today's superheroes could learn from. 

The effects are fantastic. The dragon is a huge puppet controlled by 32 people inside, the castles and landscapes are stylized but also seem like real places. The biggest success is the forest scenes. They are beautifully film with light streaming through the trees and intriguing in their look and structure. And.. they are all fake and inside a studio which seems impossible watching the film. 

Kriemhild's revenge, the second part is all intrigue and battles as she finds favour with a foreign king, marries him and convinces him to help her with her revenge and reclaiming the treasures of Die Nibelungen. 

This is the sort of epic film Lange was famous for before coming the states to escape the nazis and he never made again in the United States. The budget is girnormous and it shows and highlights his attention to every detail.