What would you drop from "Die Walküre" to make it fit into a 120-minute feature film?

Oh Ho! : a tough one.

Uncut, I think it runs between 4 and 4 1/2 hrs.: 120 mins. is only 2 hrs. If it is a MUST DO, I would recommend the following "drops"(you understand, that I will not have actually calculateded the time? Offerred, only off the top of my head):

Act I: the rather long interactional scene between all three principals - Siegmund/Sieglinde and Hunding - where Siegmund relates why he is called "Woeful" - {the history so far of the Volsungs: him, Sieglinde, their mother and father, the "Wanderer"(Wotan in disguise)}.

Act II: this is where you can make a major cut. Beginning immediately after Wotan sends Brunnhilde off to insure that Siegmund wins his upcoming fight with Hunding - and be sure to include Brunnhilde's short reference to the approaching Fricka, and Wotan's response to it - cut then to where Siegmund and Sieglinde enter.

You will of course have depleted that section(which includes great music for Fricka - her best in the entire Ring), the logical substance for furtherance of the plot.

Act III: begin your cut after Wotan's arrival, and his sending all the Valkyries scurrying away with the exception of Brunnhilde; resume after their long back and forth about WHY he must condemm her to her fate; at the point where Wotan begins his marvelous, heart-wrenching "Farewell".

All of the above recommended cuts still may not reduce it to only two hours; but I don't know what other segments to cut, and maintain the integrity of the famous "numbers", as you put it.

Whatever you do, I would urge you not to cut the final segment of Act I; which begins where Sieglinde comes out from the bedroom and asks Siegmund if he's asleep.

I don't know whether to wish you good luck or not; seems like such an almost sacreligious thing to me, to do,

Alberich

It seems funny to me that Bruckner's symphonies were considered way too long and in severe need of cuts in his time, yet it's sacrilegious to cut any Wagner opera down to 2 hours, even Rheingold.

Nevertheless, Alberich has given a very good answer based on deep knowledge of the opera in question, so I'm sure implementing his suggestions would result in a dramatically satisfying 2 or 2 1/2 hour film.