(Untitled)

[moon_custafer]

Ordered In Chinese food and watched Lang's Die Nibelungen, which is what I imagine Iris Whitcomb's movies in Experimental Film would have looked like, except with a bigger budget:

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Plotwise, I mostly just feel sorry for Atilla the Hun (Rudolph Klein-Rogge).

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[moon_custafer]

The first movie ends with Sigfried being murdered by an assassin sent by the King of Burgendy, his brother-in-law and formerly his best friend. Kriemhild, Sigfried's wife, can't get anyone to do anything about it -- she knows who the assassin was, but her brothers keep throwing themselves in front of him. Kriemhild vows revenge, which frankly is a great improvement over her previous sugary and naive personality.

In the second movie, she accepts a proposal from Attila the Hun, in hopes of gaining an ally who can help her. Attila adores her, but when her brothers come to visit he still can't have anyone killed because they're guests. Attila is way for honourable than her family, really. Anyway, his own son ends up getting killed by the visitors, a huge battle breaks out, and by the end of it pretty much everyone is dead except Attila, Kriemhild, and that stupid assassin standing around in his winged helmet gloating.

By this point we've spent the past hour wondering why the rest of the Nibelungen are so loyal to this guy, but I guess they swore one of those unbreakable oaths to side with him no matter what. Anyway, Kriemhild finally gets to kill him herself, then drops dead. Attila orders that she be buried alongside her first husband. We hope he meets someone nice later and can start over.

[sovay]

Attila orders that she be buried alongside her first husband. We hope he meets someone nice later and can start over.

I can see how being in someone else's revenge plot was maybe not the most satisfying thing he could have done with his life.

(I had also forgotten that the Niebelungenlied includes actual Attila the Hun, which, sure, if it's got Burgundians, why not.)

[moon_custafer]

I suspect her vengefulness kind of makes him love her more -- there's a bit after their son is killed where the Niebelungen retreat into the banquet hall, so Kriemhild tells the Huns to set fire to the place, and Atilla agrees, adding "I know you never loved me, but at least we're united in hate."

[sovay]

so Kriemhild tells the Huns to set fire to the place, and Atilla agrees, adding "I know you never loved me, but at least we're united in hate."

Okay; that's sweet.