So the Nazis had a thing about the Greeks and in particular the Spartans. They also had a thing about making power look sexy, and keeping the message simple. You can see where I'm going with all of this, but I feel like taking my time.
Riefenstahl. Olympia. It's a film full of beautiful bodies. You notice only incidentally that it is filmed at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The values that Riefenstahl puts in this film are values that most cultures share. Love of one's country, striving for the physical limit, glory.
And yet, it doesn't seem a coincidence that the modern Olympic movement was reborn at the time when European empires were entering the final stages of their international land grab, that tipping point when the land runs out and the greedy begin to stockpile their weapons.
9 comments:
Is this a parable about Monday's staff meeting? Deep.
R (of RBB)
A lot of the scenes of the divers - and the swimmers - were run backwards by Riefenstahl in the editing room. That's why their movements look impossibly dreamlike and strange.
It would look pretty strange if divers were going up!
Leni was a Nazi.
Her early work was beautiful and I remember being struck by it when I first saw Olympia at the Wellington Film Society I think in the 70's. It had a bit of illegal/immoral feel about it as her work had been banned after the war - kind of like looking at a David Hamilton image or an Anne Geddis baby photo.
Now, if I saw it I would probably just be reminded that she was a Nazi of the worst kind - one who pretties up repugnant political ideals.
Wine Guy 1 Dimpost 0
R (of, you know the rest)
It would look pretty strange if divers were going up!
You can see the divers in reverse on youtube - they're towards the end of the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwmYFz01MxA
She catches them in mid-air without any frame of reference.
Leni was a Nazi.
She was definitely a member of the party - I don't know if she was a Nazi, maybe more of a Romantic in the tradition of Byron or Delacriox; certainly she was way too self-absorbed to ever question the morality of what was going on around her.
"According to the Daily Express of 24 April 1934, Leni Riefenstahl had read Mein Kampf during the making of Das Blaue Licht. This newspaper article quotes her as having commented, "The book made a tremendous impression on me. I became a confirmed National Socialist after reading the first page. I felt a man who could write such a book would undoubtedly lead Germany. I felt very happy that such a man had come." "
From Wikipedia
Sure, but my question is: would a real Nazi have made Olympia? The African-American runners and Japanese divers feature much more prominently than the 'Aryan' German athletes. She's much more interested in making a statement about aesthetics than politics and doesn't seem concerned with race at all.
I see what you mean. She was obviously confused (too intelligent and sophisticated to be naive)but I feel that history was correct in ultimately shunning her. You cannot run with the hares and hunt with the hounds (sorry about the trite quote but it suits)
Post a Comment