Olympia: Brilliant Cinematography or Nazi Propaganda?

Running Head: OLYMPIA: BRILLANT CINEMATOGRAPHY

Olympia: Brilliant Cinematography or Nazi Propaganda?

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Olympia: Brilliant Cinematography or Nazi Propaganda?

The name Leni Riefenstahl to some is an incredible gifted producer, to another the century's most controversial filmmaker. "Olympia", a sports documentary of the 1936 summer Olympics, regardless of politics is arguable one of the greatest sports documentaries every filmed. This film captures the 1936 Olympics in way no other film had ever been created during this time period. The unbiased portrayal of these Olympic athletes as shown through innovative camera angles, techniques and ahead of her time film editing has made this a film of all time.

Helena (Leni) Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl was born in 1902 into a middle class family in Berlin, Germany. Riefenstahl was educated at the Realgymnasium in Berlin, and studied art at the Kunstakadmie. In her early years her passions were sports and modern dance, which her father didn't agree with. Bound by eagerness she secretly took dance lessons at the Grimm-Reiter School. Despite her father's protests, she pursued a career in dancing with her mother's blessing. If it had not been for a knee injury, some same she might have gone on to become a bright star in the dancing world.

Riefenstahl was the type of person who went after what she wanted. After the devastating knee injury she knew she wanted into the movie business. In the years to follow Riefenstahl had made three movies with Arnold Fanck, the founder of Bergfilm. One movie in particular The Holly Mountain was said to have been seen by Hitler who was an avid moviegoer and reader. Riefenstahl unfilled with the life of an actress wanted more; she wanted to become a producer.

In 1931 Riefenstahl directed her first film, Dam Blaue Licht "The Blue Light" which was produced, edited, and co-wrote with the Jewish film critic Bela Balazs, which was reissued in 1938 without Bela Balazs in the credits. The Blue Light won the Silver Medallion at the 1932 Biennalle in Venice. It was at this venue where Dr. Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda and Hitler took an interest in Leni. It was said that Dr. Joseph Goebbels saw Riefenstahl as "the only one of all stars who understands us" (Liukkonen 1997-2007).

The film Triumph des Willens, is the film that brings Olympia into the debate of its very essence. Olympia like Triumph des Willens has only one thing in common, that is that they were both technical masterpieces. The similarities end there. Triumph des Willens is without a doubt a work of propaganda due to its one sided political interpretation of the Nazi regime. Later, Riefenstahl stated that she was forced to produce this film, and she might have acknowledged that Triumph des Willens was beneficial to the Nazi, as well as to her career as a film producer (Guttman 1994).

"Olympia", there are two parts to this film. The first begins with Ancient Greece, documenting and bringing to life the ancient games in the city of Olympia. She continues with many of the field events of the 1936 Berlin games, which seem to make you feel as though you were there. Riefenstahl's finds a way to epitomize the grace, sensuousness and taut, muscular efficiency of the male and female bodies. The second half features the track and field events of the Berlin Games. This film was considered a documentary but it was much advanced in that it incorporated methods of editing that were non-existent during this period. Riefenstahl had found a way to edit and add sound to produce a film that highlighted the most exciting events, as well as a smooth transition between events. She also in a very sophisticated manner, incorporated sound in the form of background music and narration (Riefenstahl 1993).

There are many arguments about this movie but the strongest support for propaganda is also the strongest support for non-propaganda and that is the "perceived objectivity of the film and what appears to be an unbiased representation of the athletes, nations and games in general" (Schneider/Stier 2001). Some keys points to keep in mind when trying to determine if Riefenstahl had in fact fallen under Hitler's powers and had very cleaverly incorporated some of the Nazi propaganda into the film might be: "(a) professionally, her instincts and insights were extraordinary, (b) she, demonstrated that she possessed the political skills to successfully arrange personal meetings with Hitler and, (c) she effectively orchestrated politics within the German Film Industry as well as within the Nazi Party to attain her production goals" (Graham 1986).

"Olympia", was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, and not the National Socialist documentary propaganda (NADAP). Riefenstahl focus of this film is the athletes such as African American athlete Jesse Owens who is the true hero of the first part, not Hitler who was shown only a few times. The showing of Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalf despite the feelings of Hitler on African-American Athletes is in itself evidence of an unbiased view which contradicts the Nazi ideology. When Hitler was shown, it was a man designated by the Olympic committee to open the games, but also as a spectator thrilled of the accomplishments of his teams victories and chagrined by their defeats. Riefenstahl through out the processing of this film was pressured by Dr. Joseph Goebbels to modify the film in ways to support the Nazi ideals. Her position to resists the powers of both these high ranking official is proof within itself that this film was not produced for propaganda purposes.

After reading many articles and many related sections of books that I draw my conclusion about this film. It is my opinion that Riefenstahl was a focused person and would do what ever she needed to get the desired results. She may have had close personnel ties to Hitler as well as producing the "Triumph of the Will", but this doesn't mean she'd corrupt this film she'd worked so hard on. My opinion is the same as Graham's when he stated: "Olympia is no more a work of propaganda than Ichikawa Kon's documentary of the 1964 games or David Wolper's "Visions of Eight", in which eight directors from around the world were allowed to offer their interpretations of the 1972 Olympics" (Guttman 1994, pp.125-129).