tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214297712303916286.post2915070533993229548..comments2009-07-09T12:00:17.365-04:00T.S.noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214297712303916286.post-11102228456372469742009-07-09T12:00:17.365-04:002009-07-09T12:00:17.365-04:00You&#39;re right, Sam, <i>Kriemhilds Rache</i> truly must be seen as a historical completion to <i>Die Nibelungen</i> — but good God, the film critic in me is not excited to recommend it for any other reason. Halfway through I was thinking to myself, How can this possibly be the second half to what I just saw? It&#39;s somewhat telling that <i>Siegfried</i> was the film re-released in the years by the Nazis as Ufa was becoming controlled by the state, even though <i>Kriemhilds Rache</i> is clearly the more brutal of the two; even the Nazis apparently knew which half was better filmmaking. Ha.<br /><br />I do agree that <i>Siegfried</i> is such an important film for the silent era, and one of Lang&#39;s best that I&#39;ve seen. The atmosphere alone is worth the admission price. I only wish the second half showed the same level of cinematic wonder.T.S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00945932279787919282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8214297712303916286.post-27110594870758884072009-07-09T11:37:22.326-04:002009-07-09T11:37:22.326-04:00No, T.S., one must see KRIEMHILD&#39;S REVENGE, but only to see this vision play out. That said, yes I quite agree that despite the two-month release of the two films, that SIEGFRIED is easily the stronger, and it&#39;s in fact one of Lang&#39;s greatest films ever, fully worthy of inclusion in that elite &quot;M&quot; group you mentioned in your MABUSE review. Funny, I commented after your SPIDERS piece that it didn&#39;t approach DIE NIEBELUNGEN, and here we are with a review! You are really examining some silent masterworks here, and with remarkable scholarship.<br /><br />I must admit that I am a huge fan of Richard Wagner&#39;s music, and have witnessed the Ring Cycle on three separate occasions at the Metropolitan Opera house in Manhattan, and likewise consider that Chuck Jones cartoon you mention there as my favorite cartoon of all-time. Boy, what expressionistic strokes on display there!<br /><br />And Krakauer&#39;s book is perhaps the most seminal of all volumes about the silent era, and I am a proud owner of it. I agree with you broaching it here in this great essay.<br /><br />Lang&#39;s wife was a Nazi-loving national socialist who stayed back to support the party! Ha! Lovely lady!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.com