In my review of the first part of the Nibelungen ("Siegfried") I already made a few remarks about the history of the story. In summary:
In the first place Fritz Lang is with his movie more faithful to the Medieval "Nibelungenlied" than Richard Wagner, Tolkien or Peter Jackson.
Secondly one has to be careful to associate a work of art ex post (that is to say because some Nazi protagonists did like it) with the Nazi regime. That is something completely different from the situation in which a work of art has been made commissioned by the Nazi regime, for example the films of Leni Riefenstahl. Even in that case there can be a work of art aesthetically speaking, although politically speaking it is of course very objectionable.
These remarks are more or less also applicable to the second part "Kriemhilds Rache", although this part is sometimes on a slippery slope when using phrases such as "Blut schreit nach Blut" or "Deutsche Seele".
While "Siegfried" is about blind love, "Kriemhilds Rache" is about blind hate. The way Margarete Schön plays this blind hate however is very "over the top" (eyes wide open constantly) and ultimately got on my nerves.
While "Siegfried" is a knight movie, "Kriemhilds rache" is more a war movie. The last 45 minutes are nothing but continuous battle. However spectacular, eventually it gets boring. "War and peace" (1965, Sergey Bondarchuk) is a famous film who has the same problem.
All in all "Kriemhilds Rache" is much worse compared to "Siegfried".
In the first place Fritz Lang is with his movie more faithful to the Medieval "Nibelungenlied" than Richard Wagner, Tolkien or Peter Jackson.
Secondly one has to be careful to associate a work of art ex post (that is to say because some Nazi protagonists did like it) with the Nazi regime. That is something completely different from the situation in which a work of art has been made commissioned by the Nazi regime, for example the films of Leni Riefenstahl. Even in that case there can be a work of art aesthetically speaking, although politically speaking it is of course very objectionable.
These remarks are more or less also applicable to the second part "Kriemhilds Rache", although this part is sometimes on a slippery slope when using phrases such as "Blut schreit nach Blut" or "Deutsche Seele".
While "Siegfried" is about blind love, "Kriemhilds Rache" is about blind hate. The way Margarete Schön plays this blind hate however is very "over the top" (eyes wide open constantly) and ultimately got on my nerves.
While "Siegfried" is a knight movie, "Kriemhilds rache" is more a war movie. The last 45 minutes are nothing but continuous battle. However spectacular, eventually it gets boring. "War and peace" (1965, Sergey Bondarchuk) is a famous film who has the same problem.
All in all "Kriemhilds Rache" is much worse compared to "Siegfried".