Die Nibelungen

This weekend I watched the Fritz Lang-directed version of the German legend Die Nibelungen. It felt like I was viewing the foundational text for every fantasy and historical epic film that's ever been made. Lang accomplished similar feats for the sci-fi genre with Metropolis and the crime/noir genre with M.

It's bizarre that the film was either lost or in poor condition for so long, and the folks at Kino Lorber deserve for high praise for doing such good work with the restoration and Blu-Ray release. They saved a true masterpiece, and the lighting, lavish sets, and intricate costumes all really pop in a way that I imagine could only be matched by seeing the film during its original theatrical run.