Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (also known as Ring of the Nibelungs, Die Nibelungen, Curse of the Ring, and Sword of Xanten) is a fantasy film and mini-series based on the Germanic epic poem Nibelungenlied, which tells the mythological story of Siegfried the Dragon-Slayer. Richard Wagner's music dramas Siegfried and Götterdämmerung are based on the same material.
It was written by the husband and wife team of Diane Duane and Peter Morwood, was directed by Uli Edel, and is a Tandem Communications production. It was filmed entirely in South Africa.
It had a theatrical release in the United Kingdom in November 2004. The German language version, Die Nibelungen, was shown on the German televisionSat.1 on November 29 and November 30, 2004. It was the highest-rated mini-series on German television that year. On December 23, 2005, Channel 4 showed the entire series in one evening under the title Sword of Xanten, describing it as a "megafeature". It was shown on the SciFi Channel on March 27, 2006, retitled Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King for the United States audience, and minus about one hour of material. channel
The film is set around the time when many Europeans had changed their religion from pagan to Christianity. The film is split into three parts, and comprise the story of Siegfried from childhood to his death.
Part 1
The film opens with a young Siegfried awakening in the middle of an invasion of his parents castle by Saxons. The castle is soon overrun and despite his mother's attempts they are all slain except for Siegfried who his mother sends down the river. In the morning he is picked up by a blacksmith Eyvind who raises him under the name Erik. Twelve years later the Queen of Iceland Brunhild who is still pagan like Eyvind and Erik, has followed her adviser's runes that have led to where Erik lives. The runes foretell that a star will fall from the sky and from its smoke a man will appear who will defeat her. Brunhild initially has doubts as no-one has ever beaten her in a fight before, thanks to her pagan belt. That night a meteor hits the earth near Eyvind's smithy and despite his warning, Erik goes to investigate. In the middle of the crater there are two rocks of a strange kind of metal, Brunhild (wearing a cloak over her face) arrives and Erik believes she is a Saxon and attacks her. After a short battle he defeats her. Brunhild instantly falls in love with Erik. After making love Erik promises to go to Iceland to meet Brunhild and they fall asleep. In the morning Erik wakes up alone after Brunhild has taken one of the rocks and left. Erik convinces Eyvind to let Erik go with him to Burgundy (referred to as Burgund) and on the way down the river they see a town in flames.
Once in Burgund a hawk named Harmillias who belongs to king Gunther's brother Giselher lands on Erik's arm and a brief fight between Erik and some of the townspeople occur. Afterwards Eyvind presents his swords to Gunther who reveals that a dragon Fafnir has awakened and was responsible for the burnt village. King Gunther and his best men including army chief Hagen leave to slay the dragon, Giselher befriends Erik and says that his sister Kriemhild is wanted by every man in the kingdom but she doesn't want any of them. Ayvind leaves Erik to use the rock from the meteor to make a sword.
Gunther returns injured with Hagen, all the other knights have been killed. Erik promises to Kriemhild that Gunther and his men will be avenged. In a fierce battle Erik manages to slay Fafnir with only a scratch on his arm. Erik then sees the blood heal his scratch and so bathes in it rendering his skin impenetrable. However, leaf falls on his upper back, giving him one spot where he can be harmed.
Part 2
Erik explores the cave and finds a vast hall filled with treasure. He finds a ring, the Ring of the Nibelung, and is then confronted by ghosts of immortal twilight beings, the Nibelung. They warn him that taking any of the treasure will bring the curse down on him but he does not listen and takes the ring and promises to come back for the rest. Outside he is attacked by the ex-Nibelung and Hagen's father Alberich, he soon defeats Alberich and takes his tarn-helm, an item that lets him take the shape of anyone else. Erik returns to Burgund with the dragon's head and shows it to the people and Gunther proclaims he is a hero, but Hagen becomes suspicious.
That night, at a large party Eyvind meets and old woman friend and they spend the night, Erik is confronted by Kriemhild and he tells her that he is already in love with another women (Brunhild) Kriemhild, who has fallen in love with Erik since his arrival accepts a potion from Hagen that will make Erik fall in love with her and forget about Brunhild. Meanwhile, the entire dragon's hoard is moved to the Burgund treasury and fills it near to overflowing. The Saxons suddenly decide to invade Burgund and Erik rides ahead of the army and confronts the twin Saxon kings, they are the men who slew his father. After a short fight they are both slain and Erik remembers who he is and returns to the castle. He declares his kingdom to be split between himself and King Gunther. He sadly remembers his father's death.
A raven lands on his arm and delivers a message to Brunhild that Erik is actually Sigfried of Xandi, and that he will visit her soon. Kriemhild now gives him the potion to fall in love with her and the raven who would deliver this news to Brunhild is shot down by Hagen. Also, it is at this point that Eyvind passes away from old age and Sigfried gives him a proper pagan funeral in his honor.
Part 3
Sigfried, having forgotten about Brunhild asks to marry Kriemhild but Hagen reminds Gunther that he must marry before any of his siblings. He reveals he is pining for Brunhild but he is not the best fighter and she challenges all her suitor's to single combat and no-one has beaten her yet. Gunther promises Sigfried that he may marry Kriemhild if he uses the tarn-helm to look like Gunther and defeat Brunhild; Sigfried accepts this offer. On the ship to Iceland Giselher has stowed away and after support from Sigfried, Gunther lets him accompany them to Iceland. Once they arrive Brunhild is immensely happy that Sigfried has returned to her but is shocked to see that he doesn't recognize her or is challenging her. She challenges Gunther to single combat with double bladed axes on the condition that if he loses it will cost him his life. He agrees partially because it will be Sigfried, not him, fighting.
The fight starts and unbeknown to everyone else Giselher sees the two Gunthers and becomes suspicious but tells no one. Brunhild looses the fight after the two fall off a waterfall and Seigried saves her. She reluctantly and sadly returns to Burgund and marries Gunther next to Sigfried and Kriemhild who are also marrying. Brunhild confronts Sigfried who out of lack of knowledge claims he never loved her which deeply upsets her. She takes her anger out by first challenging Sigfried to combat which he purposely loses to take away any thoughts that it was him who defeated Brunhild, then Brunhild ties Gunther up and leaves him for the night greatly convinced she had been deceived. Gunther requests Sigfried use the tarn-helm again to get the belt away from Brunhild which he does. Giselher again sees two Gunthers and tells his girlfriend Lena what he saw. Sigfried returns to his bedroom to see Kriemhild waiting for him, she convinces him to explain what has happened and he does. The next day outside the church Kriemhild is stopped because she cannot enter before Brunhild, Brunhild arrives quickly afterwards and Kriemhild reveals to her that it was Sigfried who defeated her both in Iceland and in her bedroom. She proves it by showing Brunhild her belt around Kriemhild's waist. This drives Brunhild over the edge. Hagen kills Alberich after not returning the tarn-helm to him and then convinces Gunther to exile Sigfried to Xandi. Brunhild comes and demands that she have justice for the wrongs committed against her, she demands they kill Sigfried at the following days hunt or she will kill herself. Sigfried confronts Kriemhild who breaks down after thinking about all she has done, Sigfried assures her that everything is all right and that they are leaving to live in Xandi the next day after the hunt. The men leave for the hunt where Gunther and Hagen plot to cause Sigfried's death, for a long time they are unable to though. Kriemhild confronts Brunhild again and returns her belt, Brunhild reveals her troubled state of mind is because of Sigfried forgetting about their love. Kriemhild confesses using the potion.
Brunhild realizes that it was not Sigfried's fault that he forgot her and that she has just sentenced him to death. On the hunt Hagen kills Sigfried by throwing a javelin through his weak spot. Sigfried remembers his love for Brunhild and says her name before death seizes him. His body is found by Giselher before they must go back to Burgund and it is wept over by Kriemhild. Gunther claims it was a Saxon ambush but she accuses him of murder by envy and guilt. She throws the Nibelung's ring onto the ground (Sigfried gave it to her for an engagement ring) and Gunther and Hagen fight over to Gunthers death. Giselher tries to kill Hagen but is easily overpowered. Brunhild arrives and kills the men who allied themselves with Hagen using the belt that Kriemhild returned to her earlier. Brunhild beheads Hagen and disappears.
Epilogue
Kriemhild places the ring on Sigfrieds hand as they give him a pagan funeral. Giselher wishes the Pagan gods would live again on his death but Lena tells him that the Pagan gods die with him. When the boat has burst into flames Brunhild appears from below Sigfried's alter and kills herself with his sword, she collapses on top of Sigfried's body and the boat sinks into the river where the treasure hoard is shown having been thrown into the river.
