"Die Nibelungen: Special Edition" is an epic that silent films fans should watch and also own!
They were Germany's powerhouse couple, filmmaker Fritz Lang who had a successful hit with "Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler" (1922), the famous director would marry writer Thea von Harbou, the woman he helped writing her screenplay and helped her with the production of the adaptation of her 1917 novel "Das indische Grabmal" (The Indian Tomb).
The two worked together for the film "Der mude Tod" (Destiny) in 1921 but for von Harbou, she would continue to gain acclaim in 1922 for her adaptation of F.W. Murnau's "Phantom" and the 1924 film "Die Finanzen des Grobherzogs" (Finances of the Grand Duke).
But as von Harbou was planning on her next novel known as "Metropolis", before that novel, she would and Friz Lang would work together in what would become a major, epic collaboration between the husband and wife team.
Writing a detailed script for an adaptation of "Nibelungenlied" (The Song of the Nibelungs), an epic poem created between 1180-1210 in Middle High German...
AN EPIC WORTHY OF THE TERM
Intricate, intelligent, and charged with emotional intensity, Fritz Lang's cinematic telling of the great German legend is truly magnificent to behold. Made when silent films were at their height of artistic and dramatic expression, DIE NIBELUNGEN (1924) puts the CGI blockbusters of today to shame.
The film perfectly captures a medieval atmosphere with an authentic feel to the sets and costumes. The performers especially are in total sync with the grandeur this subject matter demands. Everything is in keeping with how epics should be made, and Kino did a splendid job of presenting the film in a fully restored Blu-ray edition that looks glorious. Transferred from 35mm sources and dyed orange via a photochemical process (as per the original release prints), this is the closest we have to Lang's original vision. And there's a lot to see - just knowing that the grand sets were actually constructed for the film instead of having the actors popped into flat, digitally enhanced...
Absolutely incredible!
While I won't comment on the film, I will comment on the Blu-Ray. I am blown away by the restoration of "Die Nibelungen." There are rarely any artifacts to be seen, and the detail is incredible. This is one of the best restoration jobs I have seen. The soundtrack sounds incredible. It sounds obviously uncompressed and jumps out from my speakers. It is so crystal clear, you can hear the shifting chairs of the orchestra and I like to think I can even hear the cleaning of the woodwind instruments. :) I have always had a soft spot in my heart for live performances where you can hear the occasional shift of chair and audience cough, and this performance fits that... so some of you may find that annoying, yet it isn't overpowering. The soundtrack is so rich, I have turned my TV off, set my OPPO player to "Audio Only", and have enjoyed the soundtrack on its own while studying. I highly recommend this Blu-Ray if you are interested in the film. For screenshots, please check out...
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment