Leni Riefenstahl by Leni Riefenstahl
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Book Reviews of Leni Riefenstahl
Book Review: Riefenstahl was a genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Riefenstahl was indeed a genius, a genius with the camera and film editing. One will never know whether or not she'd eventually have been a great director, as she was pretty well blackballed by post-war political influences, and had few resources during the war (the "Tiefland" movie, filmed during wartime, was strapped for money and never finished ... as far as I know.) "Das Blau Licht" was an interesting early try at film directing for her, and while that is certainly not a great movie, it does an exceptional job of creating mood via the camera and chiaroscuro effect. The camera angles and camera lens applications she chose were definitely leading-edge. She would also let the camera dwell on the human face and body, so that one could really appreciate the uniqueness of individuals and see how interesting they were (the people used as extras in the "Blau Licht" at its location near Trento, Italy, are particularly memorable). Leni's genius was in showing us the angle, the viewpoint, the shading, and letting us see what she saw. It was at times awesome.
No doubt film makers in the US paid attention to her work. What is really astounding is that she was a woman and pioneer in a man's trade, who created photographic techniques and treatments like none seen before. In the US, we had no female equivalent to even compare to her, and this makes an interesting statement about Third Reich society, which is far different from what we are lead to believe -- women had opportunities to engage in traditionally male professions, even test piloting (the US certainly had no one comparable to Hanna Reisch, either).
Movie viewers may have seen the 1936 sports documentary, "Olympia," that she filmed, composed and edited. It is regarded as THE best such documentary ever produced. Keeping that in mind, think of the Winter Olympic coverage we just witnessed ... "will Michelle Kwan make the team? Why did she miss practice? Will she skate?, etc." It all a bunch of tasteless, dramatic hokum, IMHO. We have jumped the tracks and gone over a cliff of degeneracy compared with the high standard set by Riefenstahl. I recommend viewing her film once again, for the sake of enjoyment and appreciation.
I read her book, "Memiors," in late 1993. It was the best autobiography of a woman that I've ever read ... by far. I wrote her a letter through her publisher, St. Martin's ,and the following July, received a very warm reply and an autographed picture. I quote an interesting extract from her letter:
Quote:
"Dear Mr. (Anon), your letter from December 13, I have received only few days ago ... but even in the time you were in Murnau (poster's note: I was in Germany for a couple of months and had hoped to meet her personally, her home was in Pocking), I was diving in Africa, Kenya and in the Seychelles, and not in Germany. Even now I fly to Papua, New Guinea for diving ..."
To clarify, she didn't receive my letter until months after my having sent it, because of her travels for the purpose of underwater photography. And, let's see, she was born in 1902, so she was about ninety-two years-old at the time (We are discussing an incredible person here). We corresponded for several years after that, the last time around her 100th birthday.
In the post war years it was quite common for the US media and particularly Hollywood, to extract excerpts from her films and give her no payment, no recognition. At the same time they were carrying on this artistic theft, they would never miss an opportunity to criticize Riefenstahl for the usual specious reasons. Although she was much too gracious to think in this manner, she, in the end, had the last laugh. She outlived all of her "Hollywood Harry" detractors and carried on to accomplish great and innovative things in photography (See her photo book, "Die Nuba," it is awesome.)
She died at age 101. And would have lived much longer, had she not been severely injured in a helicopter accident a few years earlier.
A toast to Leni!
Book Review: Our Leni...
Summary: 5 Stars
...was just using the wrong men. And it is definitely not her fault that she lived in these times.
I also believed for a long time that Riefenstahl produced propaganda movies for
the Nazis including hate speeches and incitation to aggressive wars. But everybody
who has seen her notorious movie "Triumph of the Will" knows that there Hitler preaches:
"We want that this nation will be peace-loving but also brave, thats why you must be
peaceful". Therefore the french government awarded this movie a "Grand Prix" during
the world fair 1937 in Paris.
And seven trials, one american, two french and four german, revealed that she was
never member of any Nazi organisation. To those, who still continue bashing Leni
Riefenstahl, I just want to say that they also cannot forsee the future. And they are
also incapable of remote viewing what happens in some concentration camps hundreds of
miles away, which were, as everybody knows, not accessible to the public.
This book is as fascinating as her olympic movies. Although I like to go to bed very
early I could not stop reading before 3:00 am. During breakfast I had to continue
reading. It shows clearly that Riefenstahl was an extraordinary strong personality.
Thats why she never gave excuses for crimes that she never commited, although a lot of
pressure was put on her in that direction. For this I tribute her lots of respect.
I am pretty much more concerned about those germans with weak moral, which believed
in the past to be a member of a superior race, while today they feel guilty
for crimes that they never commited, because they were not alive those times.
What kind of madness will originate from these delicate personalities in the future?
Another aspect: through Riefenstahls eyes it becomes discernible that the Nazi leaders
were a bizarre clique of gamblers and bohemiens.
But those, who read in between the lines of her memoirs, realize that Leni Riefenstahl
had not only an extremly strong will but also narcissistic traces in her character.
As a young girl she wanted to be admired as a dancer. Concerning men she decided to
control them always. Whenever necessary she twisted them around her little finger
and used them for her ambitions as an artist, which were the main motor of her live.
But her movies demonstrate clearly that she had a positive attitude towards men.
Everybody, who experienced as a forty year old man that a hundred year old lady
appeared to him interesting as a woman believes the following episode of her memoirs.
He also knows how she made it. 1936, in the olympic stadium, seen by all the
spectators, the winner of the decathlon Morris (USA) opened her shirt and kissed her
breast. Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels wanted to throw her out of the stadium
because of her scandalous behavior. This is typical of Riefenstahl: the king of
athlets must be captivated in the public and no thought about the consequences.
In german newspapers there are still rumours from hearsay that around 1937 Riefenstahl
confessed, Hitler has been kneeling in front of her and was asking her with wet hands
for marriage. But without these properties Riefenstahl would have never become the most
ingenious female movie maker of the 20th century. And which man was able to match her?
Absolutley: this is a five star book. But one star I withdraw from Leni Riefenstahl as
a sign of solidarity with some of the men she used. For instance the ingenious pioneer
of mountain movies and avantgardistic nature movie maker Dr. Arnold Fanck, the creator of
the breathtaking silent film "The white hell of Piz Palu".
Book Review: Leni's triumph of the will.
Summary: 5 Stars
Equipped with a squint, perfectly in tune with the two dimensional nature of celluloid, the dancer-cum-actress, Leni Riefenstahl, works her way via Dr Fanck's mountain epics toward her first, own production, The Blue Light. This film is successful, winning many awards and accolades for its revolutionary cinematic qualities, and the attention of Adolf Hitler and his associates from the Third Reich's Ministry of Propoganda. After much persuasion, trouble, and interdepartmental interference, Leni Riefenstahl creates, Triumph of the Will, a film of the Nuremberg rally, so outstanding, that it is required study for aspiring film makers all around the world, especially in America, where her subsequent master-work, Olympia, was so roundly dismissed at the time of its issue prior to World War 2. She accused of being Hitler's mistress, a Third Reich propagandist, etc.
Leni Riefenstahl dismisses these allegations as guilt by association, and provides the reader with a clear understanding, as to what really happened. For villains are too easily created from rumour and innuendo, something it has taken a long time for Leni Riefenstahl to outlive - I was surprised to learn ( authors comment: Leni from Berlin; 2001 ).
Her descriptions of the technical difficulties of film making in the thirties were very interesting, making today's drag-and-drop NLE with SMPTE synchronisation, with the likes of Adobe's Premiere, much more appreciated. I also thought her use of pre and post shooting of necessary sequences for Olympia was pretty daring, yet consistent with my line of thinking, in the sense - who's to know what happened when.
Her telling of her disappointment at the look of the lighting ceremony of the Olympic Flame in Greece as `duller than dull' was a hoot, her fix being to hire the best looking of the athletes present ( Anatol ) to re-shoot the event as she saw fit. She also did this for some of the night shots that had turned out badly for the athletics featuring Glenn Morris, etc.
It's her determination to make great films that comes across really strongly. A pity we can't get to see them today as intended if reviewers' comments for the current video releases are anything to go by.
Book Review: Leni Riefenstahl, a Real Person
Summary: 5 Stars
I love Leni Riefenstahl. Her memoire is honest and descriptive. It is a big book, but a historical perspective that most are not aware. Ms. Riefenstahl is 99 and will turn 100 in August. She has really lived many lives. She learned to dive in the 1980's as she lied about her age. She started doing her film work underwater because there was no more pain or at least less. In fact, she has a new film 45-min that will be our shortly. This memoire is fascinating as Leni R.'s life is and she is like the energizer bunny. She's endured a lot of grief for her work for Hitler, but she's a filmmaker and like most artists, her work is very important to her. I hope to see her diving in New Guinea again. Back to the book, Leni Riefenstahl. She was a woman before her time literally "climbing the mountains of success". Her art, her life and her humanitarian side really show through in some of her other books, but also her you see the real side of Leni R and like so many others if you think she was a supporter of Hitler's, then watch the Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl.Everyone should own a copy of this memoire. There will never be another woman like Leni Riefenstahl, "the world greatest filmmaker in the world" according to the director of Pearl Harbor. She is also and a great writer and photographer too.
WWII buffs will enjoy the book as she relates her one on one talks with Hitler about the films he enjoyed that Leni made and the films he wanted her to make for him, which she refused but was later convinced to do the job. Pinning labels on L.R. is to close your mind to the real woman we know, Leni Riefenstahl...
Book Review: Controversial Filmmaker or Self Serving Propagandist?
Summary: 5 Stars
There is no doubt that even today Leni Riefenstahl remains a controversial figure from the twentieth century. The editorial reviews listed have a knee jerk anti Riefenstahl sentiment and do not seem to be prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. Riefenstahl was (is) undoubtedly a major film making talent, something which is admitted even by her greatest detractors. What the book shows is her internal fight against becoming the icon of propaganda film, with Riefenstahl longing to remain an actress and even become the next Marlene Dietrich. It is probably impossible to know how much of an apology for her life the book is, although the reader cannot help but admire her artistic vision and marvel at the truly amazing adventures she had (shooting movies on ice bergs which are breaking apart, for one!)Although there are many incidents from her post war work, the majority of readers will be interested in the Nazi years. The question of whether she was genuinely ignorant of the abuses and horrors of Hitler and his cronies, or wheher she is trying to recast her personal life in light of them is one which nags at the reader at every turn. The answer will probably depend on the individual. In any case, the assertion that this is a dry and weak account is wrong and perhaps only points to the fact that it is best to approach the book with a (sceptical) open mind. Anyone interested in film history and pre and post war Germany will not be disapointed in the slightest!