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Die Nibelungen



Perhaps the most stately of Fritz Lang's two-part epics, the five-hour Die Nibelungen [The Nibelungen] is a courageous and hallucinatory work, a film in which every single shot might alone endure as an exemplar of visual art. Its extraordinary set-pieces, archetypal themes, and unrestrained ambition have proven an inspiration for nearly every fantasy cycle that has emerged on-screen since – from Star Wars to The Lord of the Rings.

In Part One, Siegfried, the film's eponymous hero acquires the power of invincibility after slaying a dragon and bathing in the creature's blood. Later, an alliance through marriage between the hero and the royal clan of the Nibelungen turns treacherous, with Siegfried's sole weakness exploited. In Part Two, Kriemhilds Rache [Kriemhild's Revenge], Siegfried's widow travels to the remote land of the Huns to wed the monstrous Attila, and thereby enlist his forces in an act of vengeance that culminates in massacre, conflagration, and, under the auspices of Lang, one of the most exhilarating and terrifying end-sequences in all of cinema.

Adapted from the myth that served as the basis for Wagner's Ring cycle (though not an adaptation of the operas themselves), Lang's picture employs its own counterpoint through a systematic, viral series of deranged geometrical patterns and the arresting, kabuki-like quality of the actors' performances. The result is a film of startling expressionistic power, and a summit of Fritz Lang's artistry. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the new HD restoration of Die Nibelungen in two-disc Blu-ray and DVD editions.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Long-awaited HD restoration of the film by Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, with its original frame-rates and in its original aspect-ratio, in 1080p on the Blu-ray
• Newly translated optional English subtitles for the original German intertitles
• A new one-hour documentary on the restoration of the film
• 56-PAGE BOOKLET containing: writing on the film by Lotte H. Eisner; selected portions of Tom Gunning's writing on the film; interview excerpts with Lang discussing Die Nibelungen; a note about the film by director Michael Powell

peerpee wrote:We haven't even started working on DIE NIBELUNGEN I'm afraid, but it's on the griddle for 2011.

Which would leave Woman in the Moon as the only title from Kino's 'Fritz Lang Epic Collection' not released by MoC.

Die Nibelungen I & II are now officially slated for December 2005 releases on the MoC website. No word on specs or spine numbers as yet.

Actually, it's been there for months and months now. This is one of my most eagerly awaited titles this year. Having owned the Kino version, which was quite good (sold it already as soon as I heard the MoC team were tackling this baby) and peerpee having said that they would be releasing it from a recently restored transfer (which can only be awe-inspiring on the level of the Metropolis one), I am patiently waiting for it with the grandest expectations.

It would be fantastic if this would be a 3xDVD (2 for the features and one for the extras) but I would settle for the required two. At an estimated running time of almost 5 hours, this is an epic like very few in the history of cinema (silent and non-silent). It would be great to know what sort of extras we will be getting, though.

Words fail me when I try to describe what I feel when I watch these films as I think that they stand unequalled in their grand design and art. Tough ones to top, I tell you. And judging from the success of the Lord of the Rings movies, it won't be long before a director is granted the big bucks to try his hands on this story, to cash in on the trend. I'm sorry for the poor guy who will take such an undertaking.

BTW, has anyone seen the 60's remake? It's out on DVD in Germany.

Your high praise for this film is justified, of course, Annie, but you're in the minority, I'm sure. Most probably consider this a bore.

There is a new version in the makings with Max von Sydow.... let me look into it.

I guess it's already completed and TV only. I'm sure you'll be able to locate a trailer.

denti alligator wrote:Your high praise for this film is justified, of course, Annie, but you're in the minority, I'm sure. Most probably consider this a bore.

This probably puts me in an even smaller minority, but I find these films far more successful in their grandeur than Metropolis, which I find extremely tedious despite the magnificent art direction. Part One, in particular, is full of shots that really do take your breath away.

denti alligator wrote:There is a new version in the makings with Max von Sydow...

I've seen it. It played Portuguese TV late last year. Not too good, though but average for a TV production. The dragon was great! And if this is the only thing that has stuck in my mind, it can't be too good, don't you think?

Anyways, it's out on DVD in Germany.

has this got a definite release date/spine number yet?

godardslave wrote:has this got a definite release date/spine number yet?

There's nary a word on the issue, save for a vague 'February 2006' on MoC's website.

Gonna be late 2006 according to the restorers.

Is this still gonna make it for this year, even if on Dec. 31?

Not looking likely at the moment, I'm afraid.

Hi there, I'm new here, so forgive me if this has been asked or answered elsewhere.

Can the reason for the delay be that the Murnau-Stiftung are currently doing just another restoration of "Die Nibelungen" ( to be completed in 2007 they say), and that MoC will wait for this definitive version? If so, I would appreciate the delay, as the older restoration from the early 1990s does not look THAT good, at least judging from the Spanish release on divisa-red.

Furthermore, are there any plans to release Lang's "Der Müde Tod" (Destiny)? It's such a marvellous film, and the US-DVD of it is rather disappointing (heavily cropped, english intertitles and so on).

Yes, we're waiting for the new restoration of DIE NIBELUNGEN. No plans on DER MUDE TOD at the moment, I'm afraid.

So this will be a newer restoration than what Kino used? Excellent!
Any word on the score? I was so disappointed by the obvious sound distortion in several spots in their version.

I know that there was some information on this new restauration on the Murnau Stiftung's website, www.murnau-stiftung.de , a while ago. I just cannot find it at the moment, I think they have taken it off (which does not portend anything good, I fear). As far as I remember, they spoke of having found some better or extra film material, but nothing about a new music recording. I think, however, that the distortion on the Kino DVD is probably not due to a fault in the original recording, but just another example of Kino's sloppyness. I did not notice anything particularly wrong with the Spanish divisared edition in this respect, but I may be wrong, as I haven't watched it for quite a while.

NIBELUNGEN will be restored with original virage colors, but the restoration will be only finished in 2007.

This title will be MoC spine #41 according to their recent catalogue.

geez, talk about trying to steal some thunder. will hold out to see MOC features. Gotta say, recently MOC titles are impressing me more than CC.

I agree. Regarding the fact that FWS stated they will only finish the new restauration in 2007, I fear it's the old version already available from divisa. Well, let's hope they just speeded up their restauration work.

I too was a little suspicious of that release date, therefore my restraining from a general sense of \:D/ (I'd be dancing around the room if I thought I could have the genuine new NIBEL on DVD in barely 90 days!) . It may be Transit making a last ditch effort to get discs out that were supposed to be available (and presumably invested in substantially which have not yet seen a return-on-investment) a long time ago, before those old masters become completely irrelevant viz the forthcoming resto/corrections.

I guess, given the artwork, this should be #40.

Estimated release date, peerpee?

Great cover design! I fear that it won't come too soon, though, as Peerpee wrote in the "General Idi Amin Dada" thread: "It's looking like TABU will be coming before DIE NIBELUNGEN." And there's nothing on "Tabu" on the MoC site yet...

Also, the Murnau Stiftung doesn't say anything about the restoration being now finished, although that indicates little, as they notoriously only seem to update their site twice a year or so. But anyway, "Tabu" is much desired, too (and "Phantom"!!). I only wonder when that long-announced disc of "Woman in the Moon" will come....

Any release date on this yet?

Don't expect it to come out for a long time. Murnau Stiftung wrote in their latest news section that they are planning to have the newest restoration (which is what I assume Eureka are going to release) finished by the end of next year.

That's only because they never really update their site. The section you are referring to has been up on the FWMS-site since December 2006, so I still assume that "Nibelungen" will be ready by the end of 2007.