Treasure of the Petrified Forest (Italian: Il tesoro della foresta pietrificata) is a 1965 Italian adventure film directed by Emimmo Salvi.
It mixes elements of the Nibelungen saga and of Richard Wagner's opera Ring of the Nibelung, which is also used as soundtrack (especially the famous Ride of the Valkyries).
Contents
Plot
The god Wotan gives the young Prince Sigmund of Valhalla and his sister Brunhilde, the leader of the Valkyries, the task of defend the Petrified Forest. This is threatened by the Vikings, led by the aggressive Hunding, who plans an invasion of the forest, in search of the secret treasure of the Nibelung, the possession of which prospects unlimited power.
After crossing the border and invading Valhalla, Hunding finds an ally in the daughter of one of Sigmund's loyal followers, Erika, who is embittered by unrequited love. With her help the Vikings raid the camp of the Walhalla residents and kill many warriors. Sigmund swears vengeance and pursues them with the remaining men. However, thanks to other traitors in Sigmund's ranks, Hunding succeeds in capturing him and his fiancée Siglinde, Erika's sister. At the end, Sigmund escapes and, with the help of the Valkiries, succeeds in stopping the invaders and defeating Hunding in a duel.
Cast
Gordon Mitchell as Hunding
Ivica Pajer (as Ivo Payer) as Sigmund
Eleonora Bianchi as Siglinde
Pamela Tudor as Brunhild
Amedeo Trilli (credited as Mike Moore) as Gunar
Luigi Tosi (credited as Nat Koster) as Otto
Pietro Ceccarelli (credited as Puccio Ceccarelli) as Hans
Franco Doria as the dwarf Kurt
Attilio Severini as Fredrik
Franco Beltramme as Manfred
Lella Cattaneo as a witch
Lia Giordano as a viking woman
Giorgio Tesei as Olaf
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia (credited as Ivan Scratuglia) as a viking warrior
Luisa Rivelli as Erika
Francesco Sormano as Wotan