WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY is the first in a two-part retelling of the epic 'Die Nibelungen' folklore tale of the romance between Siegfried and Brunhilde. Originally this was a two-film silent epic made by Fritz Lang in the 1920s. Back in the 1960s, there had already been a vogue for German directors remaking Lang movies - the decade saw the resurgence of Dr Mabuse as a film character, for instance - so it was only natural that populist director Harald Reinl would be the man to tackle this fantasy epic.
Reinl was by this stage of his career an experienced director with the WINNETOU series of films and he goes out of his way to make WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY a fine-looking movie. It's an epic fantasy romp, with lots of action and big storytelling to recommend it. What I particularly liked was the combination of political intrigue and old-fashioned heroism, which makes this feel like an old peplum flick.
The stand-out performance here is from Uwe Beyer playing Siegfried. Siegfried has a great little storyline, I won't spoil it only to say it works very well in the classic tradition. Beyer was a former athlete and he certainly acquits himself well in a physical part. The ubiquitous Karin Dor plays in support, and there are minor parts for Skip Martin (THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH) and later western star Terence Hill. My favourite parts are the trip to Iceland, the encounter with the dragon, and the volcano.
Reinl was by this stage of his career an experienced director with the WINNETOU series of films and he goes out of his way to make WHOM THE GODS WISH TO DESTROY a fine-looking movie. It's an epic fantasy romp, with lots of action and big storytelling to recommend it. What I particularly liked was the combination of political intrigue and old-fashioned heroism, which makes this feel like an old peplum flick.
The stand-out performance here is from Uwe Beyer playing Siegfried. Siegfried has a great little storyline, I won't spoil it only to say it works very well in the classic tradition. Beyer was a former athlete and he certainly acquits himself well in a physical part. The ubiquitous Karin Dor plays in support, and there are minor parts for Skip Martin (THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH) and later western star Terence Hill. My favourite parts are the trip to Iceland, the encounter with the dragon, and the volcano.