Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924)

Originally posted to Facebook on 9/26/2017

Die Nibelungen: Siegfried was our third film from 1924, and also our third directed by Fritz Lang, written, like his previous films, by his wife Thea von Harbou. We've watched a fair number of German films from the 1920s over the last year, and I think it is not simply a post-hoc observation that their intense and often fantastical tenor reflects to some extent the turmoil in post-war Germany. Still, it is hard to know what to make of the fact that this particular film was a favorite of Hitler's, especially since there are elements of the film where one can understand why that might be the case. Its hero, for instance, physically resembles the Nazi ideal, and the film has a strong strain of German nationalism, and even opens with a title card reading "Dedicated to the German People."

But whatever baggage this film carries, it is the first time in this project that we've seen this kind of high fantasy. It could not be more different than the previous film we saw directed by Lang, 1922's Dr. Mabuse. That film was "modern" and cynical; Siegfried is mythological and largely sincere. Siegfried himself, the protagonist, is played by Paul Richter, who also had a prominent part in Dr. Mabuse. Within the first thirty minutes he slays a dragon, and discovers a strange dwarf-like race who possess a magical treasure hoard. The dragon is especially noteworthy; it is essentially a large puppet -- Henson-ish, but less whimsical. It of course pales beside modern digital effects, but is unlike anything we've seen previously. It noticeably does not move much from its initial location, but otherwise stretches its neck and tail, and bends down to drink. Siegfried attacks it with surprisingly little provocation -- though perhaps dragons were universally recognized as a public health risk. After killing the dragon, and having a few other adventures, Siegfried eventually ends up at the court of King Gunther, where he petitions the king for the hand of his sister, Kriemhild, played by Margarete Schön. Gunther agrees, but only -- in true fantasy RPG fashion -- if Siegfried will help Gunther with another task.

There were a few things that marred the film for me. One of the more prominent was that Siegfried himself is not particularly sympathetic -- he mocks his followers, and threatens people's lives for trivial reasons. Near the end he becomes sympathetic by default as several characters conspire to betray him, at which point Kriemhild, now his wife, endangers his life on at least two occasions by making implausibly stupid mistakes. Given that the second film in the series is entitled Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge, it is probably not a spoiler to reveal that things do not go well for Siegfried as a result.

Next week we will see that second film, marking our fourth film from 1924. This list, as always, is here: https://bit.ly/2lZtfmT