Part one of Lang's two-part Die Nibelungen, the superproduction of the great Nordic mythological saga conceived by Lang and screenwriter Thea von Harbou as a cinematic statement of uniquely German themes, a monument to German culture in its own right. To Lang's chagrin, the film became one of Hitler's favorites.
“The entire film was shot in the studio and the sets are among the best in the long history of the screen. The rainbowed mountain, the vast tree trunks, the rocks and glades, the Nibelungen den, the ship, Brunhilde's rock, the cathedral, the hunt, the pool where Siegfried drinks - each is superb in its technical precision and in its powers of evocation. Every facet of this production - the sets, the lighting, the costumes, the special effects, and the atmosphere - contributes to the larger-than-life quality of this mythic tale. While the sets strive for realism Lang moves into abstraction through lighting and costumes....” --Arthur Lennig, “The Silent Voice: A Text”