Leni Riefenstahl

Leni Riefenstahl

Leni Riefenstahl, a dazzling individual that has lived through and experienced many things that no other person may have. She has lived through the World War One, Great Depression, Nazi Germany, World War Two, the Cold war and September 11. However, what fascinates historians and people all over was her involvement and relationship with Hitler and the Nazis party. This report will look over Leni's early to role as director of her Infamous films Triumph of the Will and Olympia and her involvement and view of Nazism and Hitler.

Helene Bertha Amelie (Leni) was born on 22 August 1902 in Berlin. Leni lived in a comfortable middle-class family. Since a young age Leni has had a passion for dance. Leni's dancing career began in the 1920s, during the Weimar republic that saw the birth of a culturally and politically diverse nation. Max Reinhardt, a prominent producer hired Leni as a dancer. Leni soon extended her talents to choreography. Her dancing career suffered due to a continuos knee injuries and one in particular in 1925, when she performed Prague. However, her life was going to under go a dramatic change that would lead her to acting and finally directing. Suddenly the image of a man climbing a jagged mountain came into focus. The colourful poster was promoting a movie with predictive name "Mountain of Destiny". Leni instantly became entranced with the movie and soon went off to meet Arnold Fanck who would open the world of cinema to Leni. She stared in six of his movies, such as The Holy Mountain, The Big Jump and the White Hell of Pitz Palu, where she was portrayed as the hero and where her physical proficiency was displayed (which has always been a male domain). Franck had become her mentor and it been his opening scene of the 'The magic mountain' that Hitler admired.

In 1932 the political situation in Germany was intensifying. The Republic was crumbling and the great depression was taking its toll on the German people. Leni was not greatly affected by the depression and saw little of the violence that was occurring. In Berlin she was persuaded by friends to attend a political rally at Sportsplatz where Hitler would give an address. Instantly Leni had become spellbound by Hitler as he did upon thousands-'He radiated something very powerful,' she later observed, 'something which had a kind of hypotonic effect.' Inspired by Hitler, Leni wrote to Hitler, who soon replied, as Hitler was an admirer of work. Hitler and Leni met in late 1932 on the Baltic coast. Hitler praised her and her work, which would have left no doubt that; she was flattered and captivated by Hitler. Hitler had told her that once the Nazis came into power that she would make movies for them. It was a start of friendship between the two.

Leni was fascinated with film and film techniques. So, in 1932 she produced, directed, edited and starred in The Blue Light. A fairytale story about a woman named Junta. Leni experimented greatly with colour filters, light and camera shots. She was a perfectionist that was determined to create a mythical landscape. The film was a great success that won her a silver medal in the Venice Film Festival in 1933.

Leni was a true artist that expressed and produced her movies in ways that have not been done before. Most films of the day were static productions that only had the camera in one position recording the action. She believed that the techniques used, such as music, angles and lighting, should be used to reflect and relate to the film. All her scenes were carefully planned out and became experimental with her camera. She spent a great deal of time editing her films.

In February 1933, Hitler asked Leni to make films for him. She however, declined due to her fear that it would decline her ability to work creatively in freedom. Also, she did not wish to work under the control of Gobbels and she had no experience in documentaries. In 1934 Hitler insisted that she make a feature film about the 1934 Nuremberg Rally. Hitler demanded that she make the film and that Walter Ruttmann (communist) a documentary filmmaker she had suggested was not suitable.

She had tried to have Hitler release her from the filming, but was promised by Hitler complete artistic control for this film and future works, outside of Goebbels, if she would complete this film. She reluctantly agreed to the filming, however under her own conditions. She had asked that the production of the film would be put under her company (Leni Riefenstahl Studio Film) and not by the Ministry of Propaganda.

The Triumph of the Will was a film like no other, during this era. The techniques used and the careful editing of each scene was completely new and revolutionary. The camera angle was used in every possible way, from camera operators on moving cranes and trucks, to cameras being positioned in Hitler's car. Close-ups and images in half-profile were rarely used and the close-ups in this film are the first time German audiences have seen their fuehrer close up. These uses of close-ups show the emotions and intense joy of women, children, and soldiers. The close-ups also glorify the strength and image of the Aryan people. The beginning of the documentary starts off with the audience looking through Hitler's viewpoint. They are descending through the clouds and finally ascend over Nuremberg. The camera angle faces downwards and we see the entire city. Hitler is being portrayed as a God, descending from heaven and looking over his creation. Leni was able to give greater strength to Hitler through the use of her camera angles; he is always looking down on the action, which reinforces the ideal of a great and solitary leader. There is little dialogue in the film, as Riefenstahl allows the images to speak for themselves. Music is also very important, as Leni fitted the music with the images. The music consisted of military and marching songs that were selected from the composer Richard Wagner.

After the success of Triumph of the Will, Leni was approached by Professor Carl Diem, secretary general of the organization committee of the Eleventh Olympic Games. He asked her to make a film about the games. Although she had sworn never to do another documentary after her previous film, she found the idea most stirring because no such attempt at filming the games with any artistic or aesthetic merit had been done. She however, had doubts and asked her old friend Arnold Fanck on how to approach this project. After hearing his ideas she was close to not taking up the project until she began to visualize a film that blended the ancient aesthetic with the modern games. Olympia also had the same techniques that were used in the Triumph of the Will. Riefenstahl's skilful