WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY

 

My latest Tubi discovery is the English language version of the 1966 remake of DIE NIBELUNGEN. Like the legendary silent version of the story directed by Fritz Lang, the 1966 version is in two parts, with a massive running time. The title WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY is affixed to this English language version. 

The silent version of DIE NIBELUNGEN is one of my favorite films of all time, so I had some concern about how the 1966 version would come off. I have to say that the '66 version is much better than I expected it to be. It's a true cinematic epic, being one of the most expensive German productions up to that time. 

The 1966 version follows the silent version's storyline almost exactly, with the first part detailing how the noble Siegfried (Uwe Beyer) slew a dragon, gained control of the Nibelungen treasure, and assisted King Gunther in his quest to win the hand of Brunhild (Karin Dor). Siegfried marries Gunther's sister Kriemhild (Maria Marlow), but jealousy leads to betrayal and murder, with Siegfried dying at the hands of the scheming Hagen. The second part tells how Kriemhild, devastated over the death of Siegfried, plots revenge against her family after her marriage to the King of the Huns (Herbert Lom). 

WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY is in color and widescreen, and it has majestic shooting locations and interior sets. Most of the outdoor scenes were shot in either Yugoslavia, Spain, or Iceland, and they all have an unusual, otherworldly look, making viewers believe they truly are watching a tale taking place in an ancient time and land. The sets are grandiose, as are the costumes, and the music score is sweeping and dramatic. This production also uses color the way it should be used--the hues are vivid and vibrant. (This isn't one of those epics that makes the ancient world look grungy and pallid.)

The filmmakers behind WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY were producer Artur Brauner and director Harald Reinl, best known now for the various Krimi movies they were involved in. Karin Dor was also a Krimi veteran (and Harald Reinl's wife at the time). She makes a very determined and fiercely independent Brunhild. Uwe Beyer wasn't an actor--he had been an Olympic athlete when he was chosen to play Siegfried. Nevertheless, his naive exuberance and physical prowess is right for the part. Maria Marlow is very good as Kriemhild, displaying how the character goes from innocent young girl to ice-cold widow, but she isn't able to project the searing intensity that Margarete Schon gave the role in the silent version. 

A few other performers will in WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY will be of interest to film geeks. Skip Martin, who plays the dwarf Alberich, appeared as Hop Toad in Roger Corman's THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH. Spaghetti Western legend Terence Hill (billed here under his birth name, Mario Girotti) plays one of King Gunther's brothers, and Samson Burke is in this as well--he was Hercules in THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES. As already mentioned, Herbert Lom plays the King of the Huns, though his Attila is much more stately than Rudolf Klein-Rogge's interpretation of the role in the silent version. 

Despite how impressed I was with WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY, I still feel the silent version of DIE NIBELUNGEN is superior. The silent version, due to its lack of dialogue and being in black & white, has a timeless, fairy tale quality to it. WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY can't help but be more realistic, due to more modern cinematic techniques. Where WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY really comes up short is in the more fantastical elements of the story, such as Siegfried's battle with the dragon. The 1966 version's dragon is sadly mediocre (it looks like something from either a cheap kaiju movie or a TV show for kids). One would think that with all the money spent on the 1966 version, they could have come up with a more impressive creature--but it seems to me the '66 version downplayed the fantasy elements, which might have been the right choice. 

Those who have seen the silent DIE NIBELUNGEN and appreciate it will definitely want to see the 1966 version, at least for a comparison. The '66 version uses the almost exact same shot compositions as the silent version in a few scenes. (According to internet sources producer Artur Brauner actually wanted Fritz Lang to helm the remake.) An English-speaking viewer of today may find the 1966 version to be heavy going--the dubbing isn't all that bad, but none of the characters are all that warm or engaging. Anyone who happens to like vast, grand cinematic spectacle will get into WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY. The print of it being shown on Tubi looks magnificent, which makes me wish that this production somehow gets a Region A special edition home video release in the future.