Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge (1924)

After Siegfried's dead, Kriemhild marries Etzel, the King of the Huns. She gives birth to a child, and invites her brothers for a party. She tries to persuade Etzel and the other Huns, that... See full summary »

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writer:

Thea von Harbou

Stars:

Margarete Schön, Gertrud Arnold, Theodor Loos

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Margarete Schön	...	Kriemhild
Gertrud Arnold	...	Queen Ute
Theodor Loos	...	King Gunther
Hans Carl Mueller	...	Gernot
Erwin Biswanger	...	Giselher
Bernhard Goetzke	...	Person from Alzey
Hans Adalbert Schlettow	...	Hagen Tronje
Hardy von Francois	...	Dankwart
Yuri Yurovsky	...	The Priest (as Georg Jurowski)
Iris Roberts	...	The precious boy
Rudolf Klein-Rogge	...	King Etzel
Georg John	...	Slaodel, his brother
Hubert Heinrich	...	Werbel, the play man
Rudolf Rittner	...	Rüdiger von Bechlarn
Annie Röttgen	...	Dietlind, his daughter

Storyline

After Siegfried's dead, Kriemhild marries Etzel, the King of the Huns. She gives birth to a child, and invites her brothers for a party. She tries to persuade Etzel and the other Huns, that they kill Hagen, the murderer of Siegfried, but he is protected by her brothers. A fierce battle begins to force her brothers to give Hagen to her.

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Plot Keywords:

murder of a child | woman murders a man | murderess | fictional kingdom | norse mythology | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Assuming its copyright has not lapsed already, this film and all others produced in 1924 enters the U.S. public domain in 2020.

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Goofs

When Kriemhild holds her baby by the fire and Attila rushes in, the angle she holds the baby changes in one shot.

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: 12 Monos (2012)

User Reviews

A Memorable Portrayal of the Revenge-Crazed Kriemhild

This second half of Fritz Lang's epic filming of the Nibelungen Saga has many of the same strengths as the first, with memorable characters and interesting, atmospheric settings. This part of the story continues with many of the same characters, but the story itself is of a much different nature. There is less complexity but more action, with the entire focus being on Kriemhild and her inflexible desire for revenge. This part of the story does not have such interesting relationships amongst the characters as did the first part, but instead provides first and foremost an unforgettable portrait of the obsessed Kriemhild.

She, Gunther, and Hagen are now thoroughly defined characters who have chosen where they stand, and so there is not the kind of dramatic uncertainty and tension that the first part held. Instead, there is a more straightforward battle of wills, but with an added wild card in the person of Attila, portrayed memorably and with great energy by Rudolf Klein-Rogge. Attila and the Huns are depicted in a way that most likely has little basis in history, but it is certainly interesting to see the bizarre fashion in which the Huns and their world are portrayed. As events unfold, the developments are not always fully plausible, but the stakes and the pressure on each side steadily rise, building to an intense climax.

What you remember most after the film is over is the remorseless, implacable Kriemhild. With her costume obscuring almost everything else, Margarete Schön portrays the depth of Kriemhild's emotions and determination using only her face and, especially, her eyes. It is about as memorable a portrait as you will find in cinema of the madness and destructive fury of revenge. While "Kriemhild's Revenge", as a whole, does not have the thematic depth of "Siegfried", it succeeds in establishing this central image in a manner not easily forgotten.

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

None

Release Date:

26 April 1924 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge

Filming Locations:

Berliner Union-Film, Oberlandstraße 26-35, Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Decla-Bioscop AG, Universum Film (UFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min 144 min (restored integral)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1