The legend of Siegfried and Brunhild , loosely based on characters from the Norse sagas and the pre-Christian Germanic heroic motifs outlined in the Nibelungen saga . The picture is based on Germanic mythology ,¨Der Niebelungen¨, a Nordic legend that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien to write the Lord of the Ring trilogy . It tells the legend of a hero named Siegfred (Uwe Beyer) , not knowing that he is heir to a conquered kingdom, becomes popular with the Burgunds by slaying their bane , the dragon Fafnir . Siegfred bathes in its blood , exception for a body part where falls a leaf . As the young blacksmith meets the location where is stashed the Niebelungen treasure that's protected by a dwarf and the fabulous dragon . He takes the huge treasure , but Siegfried ignores the curse that lies on the hoard which now seems to endanger his love for beautiful Norse warrior queen Brunhild (Karin Dor , director's wife , Harald Reilm) . Later on , Siegfried marries a princess of Burgundios named Kriemhild (Maria Marlow) , sister of a powerful king , König Gunther (Rolf Henniger) . Along the way , Hagen (Siegfried Wischnewski) will try to take the Niebelungen gold . Some time later , a queen will execute her vengeance , fulfillment a prophecy of rampage , ravage and destruction.
This is a great adventure based about the classic Germanic myths , Siegfried and Nibelungs . This epic movie contains drama , action , thrills , legends , spectacular battles and gorgeous scenarios . The Nibelungs is based on known Germanic legends , even Richard Wagner composed operas about the notorious feats : ¨Gold of Rhin¨ , ¨Walkirias cavalcade¨ and ¨the ring of Nibelungs¨ . Besides , inspiring to J. R. R. Tolkien and his ¨Lord of Rings¨ . Starring Uwe Beyer is pretty good as Siegfried who became invulnerable vanquishing every enemies after numerous battles and confronting many dangers , misfortunes and risks . In the film appears Terence Hill or Mario Girotti , before his duo with Bud Spencer and previously becoming a spaghetti western hero . While Karin Doris is very attractive and enjoyable , along with Maria Marlow as Kriemhil and other German actors , such as : Rolf Henniger, Siegfried Wischnewski , Hans von Borsody, Fred Williams, Samson Burke, Dieter Eppler, among others. The motion picture was well directed by Harald Reilm . German director of commercially successful entertainments, often Heimatfilms, war dramas or crime thrillers . Reinl began in films as a stunt skier for Arnold Fanck in 1930 and then doubled for Leni Riefenstahl in The White Intoxication (1931). A junior ski champion, he managed a French ski school during the 1930s, before taking up full-time directing just prior to World War II . He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1950s and '60s, cleverly anticipating genre trends , especially with his series of Karl May westerns (The Treasure of the Silver Lake , Winnetou I , Winnetou: Last of the Renegades) , Adventures (The Crazy Jungle Adventure, Night on Mont-Blanc , Romarey: operation Mazaref , Bergkristall , Hell Hounds of Alaska , Nibelungs) , Thriller or Euro-spy (Death and Diamonds , Agent X against the red tigers, Jerry Cotton , Fatal Gun Shots on Broadway, Death in a Red Jaguar) and Edgar Wallace Krimis (The Fellowship of the Frog , The Invisible Claws of Dr. Mabuse, The forger of London) . Rating : 6.5/10 . Decently epic movie . Worthwhile watching.
This ¨Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy¨ (United States title) or ¨Siegfried¨ had a second part , shot back to back : ¨Die Nibelungen, Teil 2 - Kriemhilds Rache¨ or ¨Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy 2¨ (1967) in which Atila/Herbert Lom is a principal movie character , when he invaded Germany and Galic (France) but was defeated by Aecio in Catalaunicos Fields (452 a.d.) , he suddenly died in the wedding night ; meantime , Brunilda dies and Krimilda will give birth a child and she is married to Atila , King of Huns . Her brothers are invited by Atila to his luxurious palace where'll be developed an epic final battle. It's recently discovered a treasure near from Haelsinburg (Sweden) that's called the Atila gold and it can be the legendary Nibelungos treasure . Addding an Italian retelling : ¨Sigfrido¨ (1957) by Giacomo Gentilomo with Sebastian Fischer , Ilaria Occhini , Rolf Tasna, Katharina Mayberg . And including an erotic softcore rendition ¨The Terrible Swift Sword of Siegfried¨ by Adrian Hoven, David F. Friedman with Raimund Harmstorf , Sybil Danning . There is an acceptable modern adaptation for television ¨Ring of the Nibelungs¨ (2004) by Uli Edel with Benno Furmann , Alicia Witt , Kristana Loken , Julian Sands . A comedic parody of the famous German Nibelungen-Sage titled ¨Sigfried¨ (2005) by Sven Unterwaldt Jr with Tom Gerhardt, Dorkas Kiefer, Volker Büdts . And , of course, the classic silent version (1924) in two parts : ¨Die Nibelungen: Siegfried¨ and ¨Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache¨ , being perfectly directed by Fritz Lang and it is the best considered . Rating : Good , Well worth seeing.
