Siegfried (1924)
"Die Nibelungen: Siegfried" (original title)

Siegfried, son of King Sigmund, hears of the beautiful sister of Gunter, King of Worms, Kriemhild. On his way to Worms, he kills a dragon and finds a treasure, the Hort. He helps Gunther to... See full summary »

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou

Stars:

Gertrud Arnold, Margarete Schön, Paul Richter

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gertrud Arnold	...	Koenigin Ute
Margarete Schön	...	Kriemhild
Hanna Ralph	...	Brunhild
Paul Richter	...	Siegfried
Theodor Loos	...	Koenig Gunther
Hans Carl Mueller	...	Gernot
Erwin Biswanger	...	Giselher
Bernhard Goetzke	...	Volker von Alzey
Hans Adalbert Schlettow	...	Hagen Tronje
Hardy von Francois	...	Dankwart
Georg John	...	Mime, der Schmied / Alberich, der Nibelung
Frida Richard	...	Die Runenmagd
Yuri Yurovsky	...	Der Priester (as Georg Jurowski)
Iris Roberts	...	Der Edelknabe
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fritz Alberti	...	Dietrich von Bern

Storyline

Siegfried, son of King Sigmund, hears of the beautiful sister of Gunter, King of Worms, Kriemhild. On his way to Worms, he kills a dragon and finds a treasure, the Hort. He helps Gunther to win Krimhild, a mask that makes him invisible proves to be very useful. But because Brunhild is cursing Kriemhild, she tells her what really happened. Now Brunhild wants Siegfried's head. Is Gunther going to do her that favor?

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Plot Keywords:

king | dragon | treasure | sword | spear | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Drama | Adventure

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

1924 (Poland)

Also Known As:

Die Nibelungen

Filming Locations:

Berliner Union-Film Studio, Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Decla-Bioscop AG, Universum Film (UFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min 143 min (restored integral) 158 min (Belgian Filmmuseum, Brussels)

Sound Mix:

Silent De Forest Phonofilm (US release)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A music score was recorded using the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. However, this soundtrack version was presented only at the Century Theater in New York City beginning on 30 August 1925.

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Goofs

The leaf from the tree falls on a part of Siegfried's back already splashed with dragon blood. Therefore it should not leave a vulnerable spot.

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Connections

Followed by Kriemhild's Revenge (1924)

User Reviews

Astounding to look at

It has to be said that, technically, the first part of Fritz Lang's epic fantasy adventure is an absolutely stunning piece of cinema, especially given the time in which it was made. However, over eight decades on, the film hasn't aged all that well...but that's a criticism that doesn't bear much weight. The film is almost two and a half hours long, and this running time becomes even more astounding when you consider that there's another equally long segment to follow! Die Nibelungen is adapted from Nordic legend and works from a screenplay written by the genius Fritz Lang and his wife at the time, Thea von Harbou; who also worked with Lang on his most famous works; M and Metropolis. The plot follows the heroic Siegfried, who travels to Worms after hearing of the beautiful sister of the King, Kriemhild. However, in order to marry the beautiful Kriemhild, Siegfreud must first win a bride for her brother. The main reason why the film works is because, much like Metropolis; it's so astounding to look at. Lang gives the film a real sense of wonder by way of fantasy elements such as dwarfs and magic powers, and it's amazing that such a piece of cinema could have been made in 1924. The standout of the 143 minute running time is the section that sees our valiant hero slaying a dragon. The effects here are better than those that can be seen in some modern films today, and the fact that the director had the audacity to show a man fighting a dragon deserves respect. On a personal level, this film didn't do a great deal for me; but fans of classic art cinema won't be disappointed.