Siegfried

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Siegfried

1924

1h 58m

Fantasy

Adventure

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

After Siegfried (Paul Richter), a nearly invulnerable warrior prince, hears of the beauty of Princess Kriemhild (Margarethe Schon), he travels to Burgundy to meet her. To impress her brother, King Gunther (Hanna Ralph), Siegfried ventures to Iceland with him, where he helps Gunther win over Brunhild (Theodor Loos). The appreciative Gunther approves of Siegfried's marriage to Kriemhild. However, hungry for more power, Brunhild spreads lies about Siegfried, leading to a fateful clash.

Edmund Wilson

The New Republic

The producers seem to have been mistaken in going in for straight drama rather than for romance and magic.

Jul 14, 2021

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David Parkinson

Empire Magazine

This silent classic is a technical wonder for the day.

Feb 28, 2020

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Variety Staff

Variety

Lang's direction is consistent, and achieves plasticity, dignity, and very nearly power.

Feb 23, 2012

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Joshua Polanski

Midwest Film Journal

One of the great achievements of the silent era.

Jul 4, 2024

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Lang’s emotional distance allows the story to unfold without sensationalism or judgement, preserving its critical moments of ambiguity.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 22, 2024

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Velona Pilcher

Christian Science Monitor

Once Siegfried has left the smithy and started into that forest... we enjoy one of those rare times when an hour or so of motion-picture screen can recall such names as Wagner, Appia. Van Gogh, Beowulf, Malory... and still hold its own.

Feb 23, 2024

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Audience Member

The greatest 01 hour: and 58 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

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Audience Member

Fritz Lang's 1st of 2 films based on the Norse myth and Wagner opera. The production is fantastically set with stunning imagery, which stands up still today. Particularly classic is the slaying of the dragon, considered by many the cutest rendition of Fafnir! This is essential viewing for fans of epic silent cinema.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Audience Member

7.8/10, my review: http://wp.me/p1eXom-2aF

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

A really beautiful looking film that moves extremely slowly. There feels like there's maybe a half hour of plot in the whole film. Still, it's a gorgeous production that like so many of Lang's silent films seems decades ahead of it's time. The only other thing I'd note is that Siegfried comes off as a major dick. He kills a dragon that seems to be nothing except sitting by a pond drinking some water when Siegfried comes along and stabs it in the head. Not cool, Siegfried.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

A stunner of production design and the dramatic punch of the storytelling still holds up today. The first half is definitely the strongest. The powerful story still continues in the second half, but the visuals lose their potency as we keep seeing the same sets used over and over. My favourite scene was definitely Siegfried's battle with the dragon. I couldn't believe what I was seeing - crazily ambitious effects for 1924!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

In every scene Lang amazes and take us to suspense with the adaptation of this masterpiece of german literature.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Fritz Lang

Director

Paul Richter

Siegfried

Margarethe Schon

Kriemhild

Hanna Ralph

Brunhild

Theodor Loos

König Gunther

Hans Adalbert Schlettow

Hagen Tronje

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Synopsis

After Siegfried (Paul Richter), a nearly invulnerable warrior prince, hears of the beauty of Princess Kriemhild (Margarethe Schon), he travels to Burgundy to meet her. To impress her brother, King Gunther (Hanna Ralph), Siegfried ventures to Iceland with him, where he helps Gunther win over Brunhild (Theodor Loos). The appreciative Gunther approves of Siegfried's marriage to Kriemhild. However, hungry for more power, Brunhild spreads lies about Siegfried, leading to a fateful clash.

Director: Fritz Lang
Producer: Erich Pommer
Screenwriter: Thea von Harbou
Production Co: Decla-Bioscop AG, Universum Film A.G.
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama
Release Date (DVD): Mar 22, 2007
Runtime: 1h 58m