Richard Wagner

 Richard Wagner was born on May 22nd, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany. 

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Siegfried’s Funeral March (1876)

Excalibur (1981)

Excalibur

 Excalibur was released on April 10th, 1981 in US theaters. 

Excalibur

Based on the 15th century Arthurian romance Le Morte de’Arthur by Thomas Mallory  

Le Morte de’Arthur

Directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman. 

John Boorman

Starring Nigel Terry, Cherie Lunghi, Nicholas Clay, Nicol Williamson, Dame Helen Mirren, Paul Geoffrey, Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabrielle Byrne and Robert Addie. 

Nicholas Clay, Nigel Terry,
Cherie Lunghi and Patrick Stewart

Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson had previously worked together and had had a falling out of sorts. Boorman was aware of this and used it on set to create a friction between the two actors.

Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson

Liam Neeson and Helen Mirren

Gabriel Byrne

Robert Addie

Paul Geoffrey

Featuring both Boorman’s son as Young Mordred and Daughter as Igrayne, Duchess of Cornwall. 

Charlie Boorman

Katrine Boorman

The music of Richard Wagner, particularly Siegfried’s Funeral March is featured prominently throughout the film.  

Richard Wagner

Siegfried’s Funeral March

 On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner premiered the 4th and final part of his epic drama Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).

Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods) premiered at Wagner’s own opera house Bayreuth Festspielhaus.

Richard Wagner

One particular composition, Siegfried’s Funeral March, was featured extensively in the greatest version of the best story ever told. 

Not up for debate. 

John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) - Siegfried’s Funeral March

Boorman used two other pieces of Wagner’s music in Excalibur as well. 

He’s all about Wagner. 

Gotterdammerung was referenced in Zach Snyder’s Zombie/Heist crossover Army of the Dead. The name of the maker of the safe that they have to crack is Hans Wagner and the safe to be cracked is the fourth and final safe that he built. 

The name of the safe is Gotterdammerung. 

A snippet of Siegfried’s Funeral March is played as the safe is cracked and opened. 

Entering Gotterdammerung

Snyder also used Wagner’s music in Watchmen (2009) which leads me to believe that Zach Snyder is, in fact, all about Wagner as well.  

Siegfried’s Funeral March was also used in the totally batshit Czechoslovakian surrealist film Daisies (1966) directed by Vera Chytilova. 

It plays during a scene in which two girls circle a banquet table before gorging themselves on food. What makes this scene that much more absurd is that Czechoslovakia at the time was experiencing a food shortage. 

Jitka Cerhova and Ivana Karbanova

Daisies (1966)

I just watched Daisies and thoroughly enjoyed every second of its 76 minutes. 

…and that’s saying something since the internet ate my brain.  

Also on this date:

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle released 1984