Customer Reviews

Die Nibelungen

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With this movie Fritz Lang show once more why the movies can be a genuine proof of art in its purest expression.
Think just fifty years before when Wagner built Bayreuth for showing us all his works.
And the most powerful of them , the quintessential of the set was precisely The Ring .
Lang made a sublime adaptation of this work . 1924 was the year of this landmark picture.
Inspired in the powerful mythologic essence , Lang keeps the expressiveness, the force and the soul of this legend.
Believe or not , but I've always thought that you never will be capable to appreciate in his wholeness Metropolis , if you are not involved by the mythical spirit of this film.
A must for all the viewers really interested not only in the cinema evolution , but in the soul of the art.

Die Nibelungen (1924) filmed at UFA (The UFA Story ISBN: 0809094835). Director Fritz Lang, the original story "Siegfried's Tod" I have seen it with German subtitles and other versions with English subtitles. Paul Richter (Siegfried) was in 45 other films, from 1921 to 1972.

Siegfried (Paul Richter) is the son of the King of Xnnetn (Sigmund). He forges his own sward so sharp that it cuts chicken feathers. He is told that near the Rhine at Worms the King of Burgundy (Gunter) and his sister, Kriemhild is at a castle. Siegfried, "On the hour I leave for Worms to win Kriemhild"..."Show me the way if you want to live!" He falls for the "I know a short-cut" routine. Die Nibelungen snickers when he is out of earshot; "Your way leads not to Worms, but to Death" Guess who lives in the heart of the forest? Yep it is Fafnir the Dragon. Poor Fafnir was minding his own business getting a drink when Siegfried gets that "What can I hack" look on his face. The dragon even wags his tail with the approach of Siegfried. I won't give you the blow by blow. I'll just say that smoking can kill you. Fafnir is stuck for the drinks and dragon blood drinks allows you to understand the birds. A little birdie tells him that bathing in dragon blood will make him invulnerable. You guessed it cover your eyes. Oops look real quick. "Dragon tail flicks linden leaf on Siggie's back." Can you say Achilles heel? Meanwhile back at the castle Volker von Alzey is already singing to Kriemhild of Siegfried' triumph over Fafnir. From here, it goes on to deal with treasure, invisibility, and all the stuff that Teutonic mythology holds.

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.

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.

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.

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!

A truly great silent film, here very well presented with footage that most of us have never seen before. The new orchestral track is a treat, though I still miss the old organ score with Wagnerian themes. This DVD is a model of How To Do It Right. For lovers of German culture and/or silent film, this DVD is a must.

Buy this DVD set. Whether you're a Fritz Lang fan, sort of interested in German cinema, curious about the aryan mythos that Hitler would later subvert, whatever got you here, this is just an amazingly excellent restoration of a great work of art. (It's great to see that an offical piece of "Film History" can be so... entertaining.) And next month we should be getting the newly restored (almost) METROPOLIS!

This masterpiece of silent German cinema receives a solid, meat-and-potatoes treatment on DVD. Image quality varies greatly from scene to scene, but the new digital recording of Gottfried Huppertz's original film score is excellent.

There aren't very many extras on this two-disc set: a still-frame essay, photo galleries, and a few minutes of rediscovered footage from the film's production are all featured on Disc 1. A scholarly audio commentary would have been a welcome touch, but you won't get it from Kino.

I'd rent this film instead of buying it, but it's undoubtedly a masterpiece of silent cinema. A must-have for true film buffs.

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.