Leni Riefenstahl Criticism
Leni Riefenstahl's legacy in film and photography is marked by an intersection of groundbreaking innovation and profound controversy. Known primarily for her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia, Riefenstahl's work has been praised for its revolutionary cinematic techniques while simultaneously critiqued for its role in Nazi propaganda. Her complex relationship with the Nazi regime, particularly with Adolf Hitler, has been the focal point of much critical scholarship. Robert Sklar, for instance, discusses her moral responsibility in promoting Nazi ideology, while Susan Sontag critiques her work as embodying a "fascist aesthetic."
Riefenstahl began her career in dance before delving into the realm of cinema, quickly transitioning from starring in "mountain films" like The Blue Light to directing. Her collaborations with Hitler, who admired her artistic vision, led to the creation of films that have been scrutinized for bolstering Nazi imagery. This collaboration overshadowed her technical achievements, despite her post-war attempts to defend her work as purely artistic. Feminist scholars, such as Robert von Dassanowsky, have suggested that the scrutiny she faced was, in part, gendered, with male contemporaries not experiencing the same degree of professional ostracism.
After World War II, Riefenstahl's career suffered due to her close ties with the Nazi regime, and she faced numerous legal challenges concerning her alleged collaboration. Despite being cleared of any charges, her reputation remained tarnished, and she sought to reinvent herself through photography. Her work, such as The Last of the Nuba, echoed themes from her films and sparked further ethical debates. Critics like Paul D. Zimmerman and Ulrich Gregor have noted that her photographic portrayals exhibited similar tendencies to idealize subjects, reminiscent of her earlier filmic style.
Critics like Siegfried Kracauer and Ken Kelman have noted that Triumph of the Will blurs the lines between documentary filmmaking and propaganda, creating an illusion of enthusiastic support for the Nazi regime. Similarly, Olympia, while praised for its aesthetics, has been criticized for subtly promoting Aryan ideals, as Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel have explored. David B. Hinton highlights how her early work, The Blue Light, set the stage for her enduring thematic juxtaposition of ideal versus corrupted communities.
Despite the professional challenges following the war, Riefenstahl's resilience and pursuit of new artistic avenues cannot be denied. Her legacy continues to evoke discomfort due to the emotional intensity and ideological implications of her work, underscoring the dual nature of art as both a powerful tool for expression and a medium capable of conveying propaganda. Richard Meran Barsam and David Gunston's analyses provide insight into how Riefenstahl's films, while artistically significant, remain contentious due to their emotional and ideological depth.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Riefenstahl, Leni (Vol. 190)
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Fascinating Fascism
(summary)
In the following essay, originally published in the February 6, 1975, edition of New York Review of Books, Sontag argues that Riefenstahl's The Last of the Nuba expresses a “fascist aesthetic” in its representation of the human body, which is further reflected in Riefenstahl's films.
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The Use and Abuse of Memory: New German Film and the Discourse of Bitburg
(summary)
In the following essay, Rentschler examines the use of a popular German song in five different German films from different eras of German history, asserting that Riefenstahl's use of the song in Triumph of the Will represents an act of historical revisionism.
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Leni Riefenstahl's Feature Films and the Question of a Fascist Aesthetic
(summary)
In the following essay, Schulte-Sasse examines Riefenstahl's mountain films—Blue Light and Tiefland—in terms of the notion of a “fascist aesthetic.”
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The Blue Light and the Mountain Films
(summary)
In the following essay, Hinton recounts Riefenstahl's emergence into the world of filmmaking—first as an actress and later as a director—and presents an overview of the preproduction history of Riefenstahl's directorial debut, The Blue Light.
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The Nuremberg Trilogy
(summary)
In the following essay, Hinton provides a detailed analysis of the structure, cinematography, and editing of Triumph of the Will, while offering additional commentary on Riefenstahl's short films Victory of Faith and Day of Freedom.
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The Devil's Director
(summary)
In the following essay, Sklar asserts that Riefenstahl's pretenses to artistic filmmaking are at the core of the ongoing controversy surrounding her work.
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Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman
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In the following review of The Sieve of Time, Elsaesser explores Riefenstahl's film career within the context of German cinema during the 1930s.
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The Life but Not the Times
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In the following review, Leffland faults Riefenstahl for failing to question her own moral responsibilities regarding her role in Nazi Germany in Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir.
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Explanations, Accusations, No Regrets
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In the following review, Mesic criticizes Riefenstahl for ignoring the moral and ethical questions surrounding her life and work in Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir.
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Festival of Smoke
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In the following review, Murray-Brown asserts that the central interest of Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir lies in Riefenstahl's descriptions of her relationship with Adolf Hitler.
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‘Wherever You May Run, You Cannot Escape Him’: Leni Riefenstahl's Self-Reflection and Romantic Transcendence of Nazism in Tiefland
(summary)
In the following essay, von Dassanowsky offers a critical reading of Riefenstahl's Tiefland within the context of feminist film theory, arguing that Tiefland expresses a pre-feminist consciousness and a rejection of Nazism.
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The Spectacle of His Body
(summary)
In the following review of Olympia, a book of photographic stills from Riefenstahl's film Olympia, Goldstein addresses the question of whether or not Riefenstahl's images from the 1936 Olympics are based on a “fascist aesthetic.”
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Adolph, Leni, and Jesse
(summary)
In the following essay, Alexander discusses the significance of Riefenstahl's documentary Olympia to her career as a filmmaker.
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Mother of All Spectacles
(summary)
In the following essay, Starkman presents an overview of Riefenstahl's life and career and argues that The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, a documentary film directed by Ray Müller, expresses a sense of awe regarding Riefenstahl's status as both filmmaker and a charismatic personality.
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Shooting Hitler
(summary)
In the following essay, Cook discusses Riefenstahl's deep sea documentary Impressions under Water and comments on the filmmaker's “arresting” career.
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Leni Riefenstahl's ‘Gypsy Question.’
(summary)
In the following essay, Tegel provides a factual account of the legal proceedings surrounding the question of Riefenstahl's use of gypsy concentration camp victims as extras in her film Tiefland.
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From Athens to Berlin: The 1936 Olympics and Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia
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In the following essay, Mackenzie analyzes Riefenstahl's representations of the athletic body in Olympia in terms of physical discourses that were popular in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s.
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Riefenstahl's Indelible, Infamous Legacy
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In the following obituary, Meza observes that, although Riefenstahl was unrepentant about her role in Nazi Germany, she was nonetheless granted a respectful tribute by various German officials on her one hundredth birthday.
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Cautionary Tale
(summary)
In the following obituary, Steyn asserts that Triumph of the Will is as artificially fabricated as any big-budget Hollywood movie, observing that the film expresses the subordination of the individual.
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Fascinating Fascism
(summary)
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Riefenstahl, Leni (Vol. 16)
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Conflict with Reality
(summary)
In the following essay, Siegfried Kracauer examines Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will as a propaganda film that artfully manipulates reality, transforming the Nazi Party Convention into a staged spectacle to convey the illusion of genuine popular support, while simultaneously reflecting a nihilistic manipulation of the German populace.
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Leni Riefenstahl
(summary)
In the following essay, David Gunston examines Leni Riefenstahl's evolution as a filmmaker, highlighting her early works' atmospheric impact and technical prowess, and argues that her groundbreaking film, Triumph of the Will, stands as a potent historical document and propaganda piece, achievable only by a director deeply aligned with its ideological content.
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'Triumph of the Will'
(summary)
In the following essay, Marshall Lewis argues that Leni Riefenstahl's film "Triumph of the Will" achieves cinematic greatness through her dynamic editing and the ability to create an authentic reality, captivating viewers with a reality constructed from film segments and her exceptional talent.
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A Comeback for Leni Riefenstahl?
(summary)
In the following essay, Ulrich Gregor critiques the fascist undertones in Leni Riefenstahl's films, arguing that her works, whether overtly propagandistic or seemingly apolitical, consistently glorify a nature-based, romantic existence while employing formal cinematic techniques that align with Nazi ideals.
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Leni Riefenstahl
(summary)
In the following essay, Riefenstahl defends her films such as Triumph of the Will and Olympia as embodiments of purity and beauty, emphasizing their documentary nature and innovative approaches to rhythm and architecture, which she argues bring a poetic and dynamic style to the medium.
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The Film in Nazi Germany-ii
(summary)
In the following essay, Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel analyze Leni Riefenstahl's films Triumph of the Will and Olympiad as powerful propaganda tools, highlighting their emotional impact and technical achievements, which reflect the German people's initial naive response to Hitler's nationalistic regime.
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Propaganda as Vision—'Triumph of the Will'
(summary)
In the following essay, Ken Kelman argues that Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will achieves unparalleled cinematic propaganda by utilizing documentary techniques to transform reality into a grand illusion, seamlessly merging fantasy and reality through meticulous arrangement of visual motifs and subtle manipulation of filmic elements.
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Filmguide to "Triumph of the Will"
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Meran Barsam examines Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will as a powerful cinematic work that paradoxically fuses mythic elements with propaganda, extolling Nazi ideology while simultaneously showcasing Riefenstahl's artistic prowess in creating a visually compelling narrative that both attracts and repels viewers.
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Leni's 'Triumph of the Will'
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul D. Zimmerman critiques Leni Riefenstahl's work "The People of Kau," suggesting that while it captures stunning and heroic images similar to her Nazi propaganda films, it prioritizes aesthetic fascination over human complexity, raising concerns about its attraction to power rather than humanism.
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David B. Hinton
(summary)
In the following essay, David B. Hinton explores Leni Riefenstahl's cinematic techniques, particularly her use of stylization and emphasis on nature and the human form, while examining how her films, such as The Blue Light and Tiefland, contrast purity with societal corruption and critique the Nazi ideology through artistic expression.
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Conflict with Reality
(summary)
- Further Reading