A Silent Masterpiece

Back in Ancient Times when I collected movies on honest-to-goodness film one that always proved to expensive for me was Fritz Lang's 1924 epic Siegfried, the first part of Die Nibelungen.  This ancient Germanic story featured an almost invulnerable hero, dwarfs, heroics, treachery, and, best of all, a dragon.
     Elements of the original story appeared through the centuries in various forms.  The original myth served as the basis of Wagner's Ring Cycle or operas.  A sword broken was made whole again and appeared in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.  There was an invisibility cloak (more like a head cover) that enabled the hero to win over opposition and used by boy wizard Harry Potter a few centuries later. 
     The second part was called Kriemhild's Revenge, but more on this later.
     Finally this long sought treasure came within my grasp thanks to its release on DVD by Kino.  Their catalog is a treasure trove of great films, many beautifully restored.  Siegfried looks beautiful and has proven to be worth the wait.
     Fritz Lang is probably remembered by a lot of us who have seen his outstanding Science Fiction epic Metropolis, especially those of us brought up on Famous Monsters of Filmland and Spacemen magazines.  Lang (1890-1976) enjoyed making films featuring Science Fiction, Fantasy, super criminals such as Dr. Mabuse, and made Peter Lorre an international star with M, the tale of a child killer.  He was married to Thea von Harbou who co-wrote many of his German films.  However, when Hitler rose to power Fritz Lang left Germany and von Harbou joined the Nazi Party.  Fritz Lang had a notable career after moving to America making a variety of films over the years including the Noir classic The Big Heat.
     But, let us return to Siegfried.  The movie closely followed the plot as laid out in the epic poem Niebelungenlied, composed around the year 1200.  Siegfried is taught the art of the blacksmith by the dwarfs, reforges the sword that was broken, and sets out for the court of Burgundy where he hopes to marry the princess Kriemhild.  On the way he encounters a dragon which he slays in true heroic fashion.  He then bathes in the dragon's blood which will make him invulnerable.  But, like the ancient Argive hero Achilles, there is a fatal flaw.  A leaf falls on Siegfried's back, leaving one place where he can be wounded.
     Once he reaches the court of Burgundy at Worms events are set in motion that lead to friendships, betrayal, and murder.  Siegfried ends with multiple deaths and a wronged woman seeking revenge.  But that comes in Kriemhild's Revenge which I will probably watch tomorrow.

     Siegfried moves slowly, or perhaps deliberately, but it is never boring.  The cast, led by Paul Richter and Margarete Schon, is excellent.  The settings and photography capture the eerie world of the Dark Ages saga beautifully.  It is certainly equal to the CGI worlds created for today's films.  But this was 1924 and the technology was certainly primitive compared to today.  The dragon is no miniature, but is full sized.  Use of black and white is certainly perfect for this age, with stark contrasts between the light and the dark.  Well, if you have seen Metropolis you know what Lang and his crew were capable of doing.
     So, take a break from The Hobbit or other contemporary fantasy and see just what artists could put on film ninety years ago; and prepare yourself to be drawn into an ancient world.  You will not be disappointed.