Directed by Leni Riefenstahl
Written by Leni Riefenstahl
1938/Germany
Olympia Film GmbH
Repeat viewing
#125 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Through my optimism I naturally prefer and capture the beauty in life — Leni Riefenstahl
Riefenstahl’s film begins with a long arty prologue starting with the ancient Greek games and including a long sequence of nude male and female athletes practicing their sports. It’s sort of an exploration of the beauty of the human body. While this is captivating stuff, I was not looking forward to an hour and a half of the same. As soon as I could tire of it, we were into the Berlin Olympic Games. I ended up really enjoying the film and even rooting for my favorite athletes.
This part of Olympia covers the track and field events. There is no narration per se, just the voice of the German sports commentator. There is surprisingly little nationalism, perhaps inevitable since Germany won so few medals. There are several shots of Hitler but mostly he just looks disappointed. Jesse Owens runs like a rocket compared to his competitors. Recommended.
Fan trailer set to selections from Vangelis (non-sexualized nudity)
I believe you and I have talked about Leni Riefenstahl before. I think she was a genius with the camera, her images were stunning. The prologue here, I agree, is too long. I think she was correct to set the feel for the physical beauty of the athlete and athletics but could have been done in less time. But the Olympic footage is great. As you say, Germany didn’t fulfill its “Aryan supremacy” with many medals, so it was less political than it could have been. I would also recommend it.
But her epic Triumph of the Will is the iconic Riefenstahl film and shows how propaganda can still elicit emotion. She really shows her genius in that film…it is beautiful and frightening, exciting and chilling.
I’m looking forward to watching Part II (Festival of Beauty) today. I love diving and other aesthetic sports anyway.
How do you make a film if you are sponsored by a powerful, evil host and there is no other way to make the film? You pay your tributes as you must (showing Hitler and some of the athletes do you Führer greeting) and then make sure that all the rest is as objective and non-political at all. You can tell that this is a film Riefenstahl made with her heart. At times it even looses focus because she is so engrossed in the aestetics of sport and the body. Technically it is a marvel. she may well have invented entire conceptual designs for covering sports events. And you cannot help loving that she highlighted Jesse Owens, a black American, winning again and again in this place, the heart of organized racism.
You put that so well! Off to read your review.