Die Nibelungen: Siegfried: Paul Richter as the dragon-slaying hero of medieval Germanic mythology – with bits from Homer’s Iliad thrown in.- Die Nibelungen: Siegfried / Die Nibelungen: Siegfrieds Tod & Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge / Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache (movie 1924) review: Fritz Lang’s two-part semi-historical epic is a cinematic masterpiece.
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried & Kriemhild’s Revenge (movie 1924) review: Fritz Lang’s enthralling two-part silent epic tragedy is a world cinema masterwork
Based on the late 12th-/early 13th-century Germanic epic poem Nibelungenlied, itself inspired by an early medieval legend about the Burgundian royal family, Fritz Lang’s two-part Die Nibelungen – Siegfried / Siegfrieds Tod and Kriemhild’s Revenge / Kriemhilds Rache – is one (or two) of those movies I can enjoy many times without ever really understanding who’s who and what’s what. After all, this semi-historical fantasy/adventure epic is packed with intrigue, deceit, hatred, treachery, murder, and sex. And that’s just the basic storyline.
As seen in Kino’s definitive two-disc edition, artistically and cinematically speaking Die Nibelungen contains some of the greatest visual compositions I’ve ever seen. Filmed mostly in long shots that frame the imaginative sets and high ceilings, each static shot is meticulously composed with such symmetrical balance that, even though Die Nibelungen takes the viewer through a mythical fantasia, we are completely grounded in this make-believe world.
Die Nibelungen’s Part I and Part II were both released in 1924, six years after Germany’s disastrous World War I defeat. Their respective narratives are detailed below.
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried
Emboldened by a magic sword, Siegfried (pasty-faced blond Paul Richter) goes off to slay the dragon in the forest.
The beast is first seen lying in the sun and getting a drink from the river; he doesn’t look particularly ferocious and he’s not bothering anybody. Nevertheless, Siegfried comes along and punctures the poor creature with his sword, later bathing in the dragon’s blood in order to become invincible.
Once that’s out of the way, Siegfried meets with a dwarf creature of the forest, Alberich the Nibelung (Georg John), who hands him a magic helmet that renders its wearer invisible.
Now our hero can proceed to the city of Worms to ask in marriage the beautiful Kriemhild of Burgundy (Margarete Schön), a blonde with large, piercing eyes, and long braids surrounding her head while falling into two long ropes on either side.
Beating Brünhild
Shortly after his arrival, Siegfried is asked to help Kriemhild’s brother, the ineffectual King Gunther (a believably limp Theodor Loos), defeat the Warrior Queen Brünhild of Iceland (Hanna Ralph) in some track and field events, so he can win the queen as his bride.
Not one to be defeated by a mere man, Brünhild – a frightening, formidable force with wild eyes, wild hair, and a wild face – is certain she can beat her Burgundian suitor in any competition.
This turns out to be one of the best sequences in Siegfried: King Gunther – it’s hard to imagine him in any position of power – must beat Brünhild in the rock toss, long jump, and spear throw. But even though Brünhild is an Amazon of a woman who could beat the pants off a mouse like Gunther, she’s no match for a superhero.
Siegfried dons his magic helmet, becomes invisible, and wins the match for Gunther. Defeated, Brünhild grudgingly marries the king while Siegfried is now free to marry his beloved Kriemhild.
Götterdämmerung
There’s one problem: Siegfried has an Achilles’ heel spot where a tree leaf fell on him while he bathed in the dragon’s blood. Thinking she would be saving her husband’s life, Kriemhild, whose icy stare gave me chills, reluctantly reveals that secret to the king’s advisor, Hagen Tronje (Hans Adalbert Schlettow).
Should she have trusted him?
Hagen has a large, ominous bearing while sporting a dirty, scraggly beard. One eye is missing and seems to be rotting in the socket. To top it all, a huge-winged helmet makes him look far bigger than life.
Kriemhild has been deceived and Siegfried is slain.
Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge: Margarete Schön as the Burgundian princess and avenging widow Kriemhild of Worms.Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge
As its title makes clear, Kriemhild’s Revenge is concerned with vengeance. Bereaved beyond belief following Siegfried’s death, Kriemhild devises a complex plot of revenge and murder.
She goes to the Land of the Huns, populated by dark, hairy creatures with bizarre features. There she marries the infamous King Etzel, a.k.a. Attila the Hun (Metropolis actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge), a grotesque little man with large eyes, a distorted face, and simian features.
His looks notwithstanding, King Etzel enjoys great power. Besides, he loves Kriemhild and would do anything for her. He becomes overjoyed when she bears him a son, but the Queen uses the child as a bargaining chip in exchange for the King to keep his promise to slay the murderer of her beloved Siegfried.
Visually stunning fantasy
Die Nibelungen is a stunning visual treat. As a plus, not only has Fritz Lang’s epic been lovingly reconstructed and beautifully tinted, but Gottfried Huppertz’s original score (with new arrangements and instrumentation by Marco Jovic and Frank Strobel) – fully complements the action.
When my eyes were not feasting on Otto Hunte and Karl Vollbrecht’s production design and on the depth of focus of Carl Hoffmann and Günther Rittau’s cinematography (Walter Ruttmann was responsible for Siegfried’s “falcon dream” segment), I was in awe of the characters themselves.
That’s despite Paul Richter’s lack of dramatic presence, as his face seldom changes expression and his scrawny body hardly matches the image of the heroic Siegfried.
Powerful women
In all, Die Nibelungen works as sheer escapist fantasy. The story seems to be not only from another time and place but from another galaxy, while most of the acting feels strange and spooky – just as it should be.
Now, one element that I found particularly striking was the portrayal of the female characters in the screenplay by Fritz Lang and his then wife, Thea von Harbou (formerly the wife of Rudolf Klein-Rogge). These are not your average sex kittens or evil vamps, but real power brokers who are forces to be reckoned with.
My only complaint about Kino’s Die Nibelungen DVD transfer is that some of the English title cards were lost under the large gothic German titles, and were thus all but illegible. I only wish I could have read them.
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried / Siegfrieds Tod & Kriemhild’s Revenge / Kriemhilds Rache (movie 1924) cast & crew
Director: Fritz Lang.
Screenplay: Fritz Lang & Thea von Harbou.
Based on the medieval epic poem Nibelungenlied.Cast: Paul Richter, Margarete Schön, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Hanna Ralph, Hans Adalbert Schlettow, Theodor Loos, Gertrud Arnold, Georg John, Hans Carl Mueller.
Cinematography: Carl Hoffmann, Günther Rittau, and Walter Ruttmann.
Music: Gottfried Huppertz.
Art Direction: Otto Hunte & Karl Vollbrecht.
Producer: Erich Pommer.
Production Company: Decla-Bioscop | Universum Film (UFA).
Distributor: Universum Film (UFA).
Running Time: 143 min. (Siegfried), 145 min. (Kriemhild’s Revenge).
Country: Germany.
“Die Nibelungen: Siegfried + Kriemhild’s Revenge (Movie 1924)” notes
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge movie credits via the British Film Institute (BFI) website (here and here).
Paul Richter and Margarete Schön Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge movie images: UFA | Kino Video.
“Die Nibelungen: Siegfried + Kriemhild’s Revenge (Movie 1924): Masterly Lang Epic” last updated in April 2023.
2 comments
Just finished watching for the second time . I love this film. I’m astounded by Margaret Schon’s performance which I think is beyond masterful. To me she is the STAR of this film. Second is Attila the Hun - I love this performance and the scene where he is overcome by love when he first sees his baby is utterly wonderful. In fact in the end it’s the barbarion Atilla who comes out best, proving to be an honourable figure among all the double dealings
This is a SILENT MASTERPIECE! it starts a little slow with a silly dragon fight scene - but then OH MY! it becomes a fantastic cinematic experience. The story is intense and beautifully told with gorgeous visual insights into the gripping plot. You witness some of the finest acting in the movie history. Unforgettable movie - you just have to be prepared for a LONG TRIP: it’s almost 5 hours long.