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Die Nibelungen

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DIE NIBELUNGEN (The Nibelung Saga). This 1924 epic from Fritz Lang is the Grandaddy of all fantasy epics and now it can be seen as it was first presented with over 100 minutes of footage restored and with the original music that was composed for it by Gottfried Huppertz. With all the attention being given to Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, this is the perfect time to release this film giving us the opportunity to see a silent equivalent of Jackson's great feat.

For those of you familiar with the Wagner RING cycle there are some similarities but in fact it's an entirely different story. The entire running time is close to five hours and is divided into two separate films SIEGFRIED and KRIEMHILD'S REVENGE. The entire story deals with deeds of valor and codes of honor and what happens when they are carried too far. Along the way there are dwarves, magic, blood oaths, ferocious battles and the devastating consequences of raw emotions. The parallels to what would happen in Nazi Germany a few years later are truly startling. Lang showed the world what would happen 20 years before it did.

The outstanding restoration work done by Transit Films coupled with the powerful new soundtrack of the original score from the Munich Radio Orchestra makes viewing and hearing this masterpiece a thrilling experience. From the stylized barbaric sets and astonishing camera effects through the stylized acting and actions, we see more than German silent cinema at its zenith, we are witness to the rebirth of a truly great work of art. The DVD comes loaded with a number of special features that give background on the film and the people responsible for it.

I have been a fan of Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen since my purchase of the BETA tape version many years ago. I have anticipated this release for some time and have been thoroughly rewarded with the wait. Based on the 1861 play by Hebbel, it ignores Wagner's treatment of the story to present us with mythical characters set in a medieval background. For many, Die Nibelungen myth is the foundation of Germanic Kultur. It is a story of love, honor, betrayal, loyalty, and revenge which culminates in the destruction of family bonds.
So, who will be interested in Die Nibelungen? Lovers of Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen will be familiar with the story and will no doubt enjoy seeing a variation of the Nibelungen myth. Wagner's Brunnhilde will be seen as an amalgamation of Kriemhild and Brunhild. Lovers of fantasy will no doubt find much to enjoy here. The 60 foot dragon is a marvel to behold when you consider when the film was produced (1924). Lovers of drama will not be disappointed in the complex story that weaves it's way towards the catastrophic finale of Kreimhild's Revenge. And finally, lovers of movies, in general, and movie history will truly want to see one of the major motion pictures that have ever been produced.
What does this DVD version offer that the BETA and VHS versions do not? Plenty! We will start with Gottfried Huppertz score. I was initially concerned that I would hear a hackneyed reworking of Wagnerian themes. Thankfully Wagner is avoided which is at is should be. As noted, this version does not copy the Ring story, so it is right that the music should be as original as the screenplay. If you are a lover of early 20th century German romanticism, such as the composers Schrecker and Zemlinsky, you will like this score. Film score devotees will think of Korngold, Waxman, and Steiner. Since there is of course, no dialog or sound effects, you have the equivilent of a soundtrack cd at your disposal which you may listen to without even viewing the film.
Previous versions of Siegfried ran for 100 minutes, while this DVD version runs app. 143 minutes. Many of the previous scenes are now extended. Consider Peter Jackson's extended version of the Fellowship of the Ring as a comparison. However, there are a few vital additions to the Lang film which produce a fully realized story. SPOILER ALERT: I will provide a few examples from Siegfried for those already familiar with previous versions. For anyone new to this movie, you may wish to skip to the paragraph that is preceeded by a series of asteriks (*********)
There are some extended scenes which simply add more flavor to the story such as with the slaying of the dragon and Siegfried's defeat of Alberic. But, there are a number of additional scenes which help propel the story further. Kriemhild's dream is restored which depicts a white dove (Siegfried) being attacked by two black crows (Hagen and Gunther). Brunhild's slight rejection of the cross, and the wedding ceremony have been added. You have a clearer understanding of Gunther's dilemma on his wedding night, and his wish for Siegfried to replace him when Hagen states."Damned be the deed half done.." At the conclusion of the hunting scene, after Hagen slays Siegfried, he waves his hand and announces "The Hunt is Over!" Dramatic stuff that. But, the most important addition occurs at the very end. While Kriemhild is veiwing Siegfried's body, Hagen arrives. At that instant, blood flows from Siegfried's wound making it clear to Kriemhild who the murderer was. The wound scene was restored. Also an extended scene follows when Kriemhild, wanting revenge against Hagen, watches in horror as Gunther and her other brothers shield Hagen. The most important title card is then displayed, which is the centerpiece of the story. It reads: "Loyalty for loyalty, Kriemhild. His deed is ours. His fate is ours. Our breast is his shield." You wont find this crucial scene in the previous version, for there it is only implied.
********************* I was initially unimpressed by the new title translations that accompanied the DVD version. It is important to identify characters as soon as a close up is shown. Hagen had two close up shots which would have been a perfect place to introduce him. Kriemhild's two brothers were also not properly identified when they are shown for the first time sitting on a bench. Also in the first canto, Mime is not properly identified when first seen. In the previous version, when he appears, so does the following: "Jealous hatred gripped Mime the Smith." It is important to establish this in order to understand his motives for treating Siegfried as he does. However, once these initial reservations passed, I was pleased with the comprehensive title cards that followed. I believe they could have done without the gothic lettering on the title cards though as it served as a distraction to the movie. A simple font would have made reading the cards easier.
The transfers are excellent when you consider the age of the film and sections of the movie which appeared deteriorated in previous versions have been restored. There is no decrease in the quality of the extended scenes versus the previously released scenes, resulting in a homogeneous quality in the film.
To save time and space, I will not devote any detailed attention to Kriemhild's Revenge which is also an extended version. Suffice it to say, that everything I noted for Seigfried applies. You will not be disappointed
Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen defies genre and time and is a pivotal film in cinematic histoy. For those of you who have never invested the time watching a silent movie, there is no better place to start than right here. Urgently recommended!

Dir. Fritz Lang. Germany. 1924. Total time: 291 mins. B&W. Full-frame (1.33:1) Original 1924 score by Gottfried Huppertz, performed by the Munich Radio Orchestra.

This 2-part film is one of the greatest artistic and technical achievements of the German silent cinema. Fritz Lang's adaptation of "Das Nibelungenlied", a medieaval novel from ca. 1190, is a passionate story of love, hate, revenge and fate.

Lang's wife, Thea von Harbou (Metropolis) co-scripted this epic production. Part I, "Siegfried" centres on Siegfried who sets out in order to win the hand of Princess Kriemhild (Margarete Schoen). On the way, he battles a ferocious dragon, bathes in its blood and becomes (almost) invincible. Siegfried (Paul Richter) must also win a bride King Gunther (Theodor Loos), Kiremhild's brother. The result is ominous!!!

Part II "Kriemhild's Revenge" begins after the death of Siegfried, and weaves the treacherous tale of his widow's ungodly vengeance upon his murderer, Hagen.

This edition of Die Nibelungen is more than 100 minutes longer than any version previously available in the U.S. and restores Lang's materwork to its full glory. The original version had been re-edited and most material lost during WWII. In 1986, the film was restored by the Munich Film Museum to the most accurate approximation of the original version. Now after 16 years, this restoration is finally available for perusal and should initiate a massive spate of reappraisals.

Supplemental features:

Footage of Fritz Lang on the set

Production design and special effects sketches by Erich Kettelhut (intercut with scenes from the films)

Comparison of the dragon-slaying scenes from Siegfried and The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Original 1924 score by Gottfried Huppertz, performed by the Munich Radio Orchestra

Essay by film scholar Jan-Christopher Horak

Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer editions

New-and-improved English title translation by Ingrid Scheib-Rothbart

Photo gallery, including rare, behind-the-scenes images

Long before "Lord of the Rings" and "Gladiator" there was "Die Nibelungen". The great German director of "Die Nibelungen" was Fritz Lang, who stated that only he and Erich von Stroheim made movies for art; not money. And 1924's "Die Nibelungen" made money. A Nordic legend, "Die Nibelungen" is the story of Siegfried, son of King Siegmund, who seeks the hand of lovely Kriemhild. First, he must tour a strange, primevil forest and wrestle mountain gnomes, mystical dwarfs, and a fire-breathing dragon. He wins the true love of Kriemhild, only to fall victim to jealous murder. His widow's vendetta of revenge comprises the rest of this massive 5-hour epic. This enchanting fantasy features stark symbolism and brilliant animation. Stop-motion, animatronics, and in-camera dissolves(never done today) are among the many special effects. Filmed mostly on the massive Berlin UFI studio sets, "Die Nibelungen" is Lang's first great masterpiece of mise-en-scene; a treat for the eyes, a numbing of the senses. Raised eyebrows,... and rolling eyes dominate the dated(but classical) Germanic acting. A leading role is played by Rudolph Klein-Rogge, who joined Lang 5 years later for "Metropolis". The magical cinema ambience is aided by veteran producer Erich Pommer. Kino's gorgeous new DVD of "Die Nibelungen" contains 100 minutes of film never seen before in the modern world. Despite some artifact damage and minor pixelation, scenes are so clear and pristine as to be disturbing. When Siegfried dies, DVD clarity reveals the trembling of the spear in his back; as the very much alive actor continues to breath. The DVD offers several amazing special features, including scene selections, an original color storyboard, miniature-set production notes, actual footage of Lang shooting the movie, and a photo gallery. A comparison of the fire-breathing dragon scene here, and in Douglas Fairbank's "Thief of Bagdad(released 6 months later)" concludes that movie piracy in China today had it's roots in America long ago. The Revenge Motif of Fritz Lang's "Nibelungen" surfaced again years later in his films "Fury" and the "The Big Heat". In Joshua Logan's classic story of "Camelot", King Arthur proclaims that "Vengance is the most worthless of motives..". In "Die Nibelungen", it's the only game in town.

Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen can definitely be called the Lord of the Rings of the silent era. Siegfried and Kriemhild's Revenge are stunning films in an epic scale; visually lush with amazing special effects, for the time. Most importantly though, both films have compelling story lines and are genuinely entertaining.

The score composed by Gottfried Huppertz is amazing, albeit a bit repetitive. It is fittingly composed in a Wagnerian style. There does seem to be some problems with the recording on Kriemhild's Revenge though - the original tapes must have been damaged because there are some ripples in the sound, especially noticeable when high woodwinds are playing. Overall, it doesn't distract that much though.

Also, the special features are interesting, eventhough I would have liked some sort of commentary or lengthy "behind-the-scenes" programme on the films.

Overall a terrific set from Kino. Highly recommended to all fans of silent cinema.

These are fascinating films, and it is great to have them widely available in this format. The prints are in very good shape, the scores for both films are excellent. The DVD transfers are admirable, and the extras are worth a look.

But ultimately what makes these DVDs worth owning are the films. Fascinating, entertaining, disturbing, and sure to repay multiple viewings.

Much has been made of the still dazzling special effects and huge sets, and that rather clunky but impressive dragon. Don't let that fool you. Die Nibelungen is a film about people, and it is to director Fritz Lang's considerable credit that the acting is across the board excellent, with Rudolph Klein-Rogge turning in an astonishing performance as Attila the Hun. Klein-Rogge's work is one of the highlights of silent film acting. He never goes too far, never over-emotes in that stereotypical "silent film acting" kind of way. His Attila is a fascinating lovesick warrior wanting to please his wife but still bound by traditions that he just can't break.

If you care at all about silent films, or films in general, you should buy this set. It is worth every penny.

My real initiation into silent films started with a DVD release of The Lost World, which interested me because it was based on one of my favorite novels. As I have expanded my silent horizons, I have discovered that the artistic quality of many early films ranks easily with the great works of the later parts of the 20th century.

During the inter-war depression in Germany, the economics of the horribly weak German mark put the German film industry in the enviable position of paying their people in marks and selling the films abroad for dollars and pounds sterling. This allowed the most extravagant productions and virtually eliminated artistic restrictions on German filmmakers.

Die Nibelungen is a great example of what could be done. It is huge in scale with fabulous sets and costumes that might rival many modern spectacles. The story is, of course, the great German epic myth of Siegfried, though the plot is much much more along the lines of the medieval epic poem than the more Nordic version of Wagner's operas. It is original in concept and Lang's direction is superb. The photography is beautiful. The characters develop fully, taking good advantage of the nearly 5-hour length. Full of complex themes - love, hatred, a strange medieval concept of loyalty, and especially vengence - this film has the capacity to draw the viewer in and strain the emotions. I just couldn't stop watching, even though I was emotionally exhausted at the end.

Of course, one must make allowances for the special effects - this was the early 1920's. The dragon was described by my daughter as laughable, which I suppose it was. But if you can at least try to look past the technical limitations of the time, you will find an exquisite classic film that is well worth the time investment.

I have discovered a whole world of fine films by learning to see silents within their own context. Many of them, and Die Nibelungen is near the top of the list, are truly great works of art, and must not be dismissed by the modern SFX-glutted audience. Yes, they are black and white. Yes, they are silent. Yes, they have primitive special effects. But the photography is often gorgeous, the acting can be superb, the production values sometimes rise to equal the best of the modern films, and some of the old directors could mold a really fine product. Die Nibelungen is one of the best I have seen.

I saw the restored print of this film shown over two nights at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago in 1988 or 1989, with the original orchestral score transcribed for the theatre's immense pipe organ. It was one of the most enjoyable moviegoing experiences I've ever had, and I put off purchasing any version of this film until I found one based on that print. This DVD was therefore the end of a long wait for me, and well worth it.

I do have one minor complaint, though. During the exhibition in Chicago, there was some explicit discussion by the curators about the difficulty of setting the film speed. (At that time, it was based on Lang's descriptive statements about the proper pace of a procession of Burgundian knights shown early in the film.) So I was very conscious of that speed when I watched this DVD, and it seems to me it clearly has been set too fast here. The actors' bodies move through space in an unnatural way, and it does reduce the effectiveness of some scenes. Particularly, it robs Siegfried's exaggeratedly formal, dancelike Delsarte-based postures of some of the dignity they maintained when the film didn't seem undercranked. The film would have fit on the two discs just as easily at a slower speed, so I'm not sure why this poor choice was made.

Basically, a film version of the 12th century epic poem, The Nibelungenlied. Film scholar Jan-Christopher Horak, in his essay included on this 2 DVD set, states flatly that Fritz Lang's movie, Die Nibelungen, is "pure propaganda." I must assume he means German Nationalist propaganda, as the movie came out in 1924 and the National Socialist Party was still newly instigated, and not yet in power. In fact, at the time the film was in production, Hitler was in jail for his part in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, writing Mein Kampf, and still virtually unknown to the nation at large. But even then, Germany's Nationalist movement was intent on overturning the Versailles Treaty, which installed the Weimar government, limited Germany's military, as well as her productivity, and left her population to starve paying reparations. If the film is propaganda, it must be for it's take on loyalty.

The two DVD set is beautiful: The transfers are clear and bright, and the cinematography is fantastic. I'd consider this movie worth keeping for both the story, which is a classic tale of love, betrayal and revenge, and the imagery, which hales from an age where film was often treated as fine art, and this film its highest expression. The DVD set is bare bones, though. It has the afore mentioned print documentary and some production stills, but that's about it. Its real appeal is the extra footage, the immaculate transfer, and of course, the epic itself.

My first viewing of Fritz Lang's masterpiece came immediately after reading an English translation of the Twelfth Century epic poem, The Nibelungenlied (or: The Lay of the Nibelung) upon which this movie is based. Both share the same characters and plot line, with the only significant differences being the addition of the dragon slaying scene, only referred to in the book; using Hunnish king Etzel's more recognizable name (to most American audiences, at least) Attila the Hun; and the final scene, which I won't mention for those who have neither read the book, nor seen the movie.

The story is loosely based on real life characters. Both kingdoms did exist. The presence of Attila places the story firmly in the fifth century. The movie adds his departing to sack Rome, and other details of lesser significance, though numerous, not unlike Jackson's treatment of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, only less so. To some, it may be difficult to imagine The Burgundians accepting an invitation to visit Kriemhild after she married Attila, as he was a figure of fear to the Goths, and named by them, "The Scourge of God," but they were honor-bound to do so.

The sense in which Die Nibelungen is propaganda is that Germans were meant to identify with the central figures in it, primarily the traditional national hero, Siegfried, his abused widow, Kriemhild, and the Burgundian King Gunther's henchman, Hagen. The "stab in the back," later referred to by Hitler in reference to the 1918 Versailles Treaty, was intended to conjure up visions of Siegfried being run through by Hagen. And perhaps the German people could see themselves in both Siegfried, and Kriemhild. The parallels are plain: Siegfried and Kriemhild are Germany; the stab in the back was the Versailles Treaty imposed at the end of the first world war; Gunther and Hagen are the Weimar Republic and the League of Nations respectively, and the Huns are the foreign powers from which Germany must enlist aid (Russia, Hungary, et al) to obtain revenge.

It is also possible that Lang and Harbou, the writer(s) of the screenplay, intended the audience to identify with the Hagen character, who is a model of loyalty up to and including his death. No doubt many who did, later followed Hitler. Hagen is depicted by both the book and movie as acting strictly out of loyalty to king and country with no regard to himself, or even morality. And extreme loyalty was vaunted as a high virtue by Hitler's followers, as it was to the story's original medieval audience, who considered utter loyalty by a vassal a virtue. However, the honor accorded Hagen was also due to his prowess as a warrior. But given the medieval mindset, the subtext of his honor must be his loyalty to Gunther, as such was his bond of fealty. Hagen's character was not unlike those who, after World War II, refused the ignoble claim that "I was only following orders" to distance themselves from their Führer. In this light, Hagen was not so much bloodthirsty, as angry at the inevitability of having to die due to an irredeemable set of circumstances. But even if one accepts Hagan as a somewhat sympathetic figure, loyal to his king and unflinching in the face of death, the story's sense of loyalty might be somewhat lost on modern audiences.

The story has two opposing, but ultimately equally disastrously fated central characters; interchangeably protagonist and antagonist: Kreimhild, who could no more refrain from seeking revenge for the murder of her husband and loss of her fortune, than could Hagen be disloyal to his liege lord. This is the principle conflict in Die Nibelungen, and I suppose what gives the story its enduring appeal. But it's hard to tell if these dueling antagonist/protagonist roles were intentionally left in the movie to the end of driving its German audience to action, or as a warning. Frankly I find the coincidences between the fantasy and the ensuing reality more than a little striking. If the movie was meant to be taken as a metaphor for Germany, if she followed in the footsteps of those depicted therein, did her people think they'd somehow escape their fate? Knowing the predicament Germany was in after World War One, and knowing Germans would see their nation in the story, Fritz Lang may have intended Die Nibelungen as a warning. It's high tragedy, and a beautifully done Gothic film, but if the German people failed to see their fate closely tied to that of its central pro/antagonists, the only explanation is that either they were not looking, or simply didn't care.

If Murnau's FAUST is pure dream-like fantasy, never settling on anything solid but dissolving from one mist-filled, wildly imaginative scene to another, Lang's DIE NIBELUNGEN is a fantasy film that has its feet firmly planted on the ground.

And what a ground it is: the sets, all full-sized (mostly), the miniatures, the outstanding costume design, the in-camera visual effects, the life-sized dragon that actually blasts Paul Richter with fire, all make up an amazing and economic retelling of the medieval epic, The Nibelungenlied. Gottfried Huppertz's original orchestral score has been reconstructed and recorded for this release and it is so good - Wagnerian but without resorting to Wagner - that I'm surprised it never had a life of its own in the concert hall. It's almost as if the images on the screen are an accompaniment to the music itself, rather than the other way around.

This two disc set is great. The cinematography, sharp and clear and real rather than foggy and fantasy-like, really comes out in this restored print. There is some quick and slightly distracting digital cutting and pasting to clean up certain damaged areas, especially in Part II, but this release is more than good enough until a complete restoration hits the shelves in the future.

An epic tale of how a single lie destroys two kingdoms and lays the land to waste, it is surprising that DIE NIBELUNGEN was so popular with Hitler and his brood. But then, like the characters in Part I, they were fully convinced that what they were doing was right. The codes of honor in Part I become liabilities in Part II, and everything goes straight to hell. It is said that SIEGFRIED was Hitler's favorite film; like most corrupt leaders, he never delved deeper into the rest of the story. And as a result, entire kingdoms were laid waste.