Customer Reviews

The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

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This is, perhaps, the most fascinating documentary I have ever seen. Leni Riefenstahl is a complex, controversial, and enigmatic individual. The film very effectively raises (and ultimately does not answer) the question as to what extent artistic genius does or does not transcend political and national boundaries. Director Ray Muller, in many ways, is not up to the task of interviewing this incredibly powerful and self-absorbed woman. But, one must ask, who could be? Muller carefully documents the story of her life, from her early days as a dancer and silver screen star, through the time of her involvement with the National Socialist Party, to her current life as an underwater photographer. And the truth about anything is never quite clear. Innovative and profound techniques abound from start to finish, contrasted with the persistent intellectual task of trying to determine just who this woman really was. The film is long, and ultimately exhausting. As it should be. You will see things you have never seen before, and which you'll never forget (such as Hitler's amazing speech, and Riefenstahl's unparalleled underwater color photographs, to name just two!). But, you're ultimately left with a question. Was she, or wasn't she? And, if she was or she wasn't, what is her responsibility? Muller won't answer that for you. My only advice is: don't ask her! She'll just show you contempt and say, "I did nothing wrong!"

What can you say about a woman who pretty much invented modern motion picture sports photography, made the most powerful propaganda film in history, climbed mountains in her bare feet, reinvented herself a couple of times, lied about her age in order to get SCUBA certified at 70, and lived to a feisty age of 101.
I've known about Leni Riefenstahl's films for all of my adult life, but this was all new stuff to my wife when we got married a few years ago. When I showed her this DVD, she was absolutely entranced.
Rather than get caught up in the "was she or wasn't she" debate over Riefenstahl's association with Hitler and the Nazi Party, my wife - a strong woman in her own right - saw Riefenstahl as a shining example of the liberated woman. Riefenstahl followed her creative passion wherever it led. For her, there were no gender barriers.
Had she emigrated to Hollywood with Marlene Dietrich, she may well have gotten lost in the constellation of American film stars. On the narrower stage of German film, she was a colossal talent as an actress and as a director.
Yes, she lent her talent and creativity to one of the most hideously evil regimes in history. How she really felt about it in her heart of hearts, we'll never know. It's clear she regretted making Triumph of the Will because it made her an outcast in the post-war film world.
The difficulty here is to separate the art from the politics. Before the war, Triumph of the Will won international acclaim, even from the French. Olympia, tinged as it is with its background of Nazi symbols, gave us sports camera techniques that haven't been improved upon since the film was made. Whenever you see footage of Jesse Owens' gold medal performances, you have Riefenstahl to thank for it.
Leni Riefenstahl, for all her bad judgment and Nazi connections, was one of the most powerful creative forces in the history of cinema.
This documentary bears repeated viewing because of the complexity of its subject and the impact of her work.

Mueller's 1993 quasi-documentary of German film legend Leni Riefenstahl sheds new light on her controversial work and life. Having entered the film world as a young, determined actress, Riefenstahl caught the eye of Hitler after _Das Blau Licht_, a film she wrote and directed, won awards all across the European continent. It is at this point that film scholars and afficionados begin to differ, some claiming her work presents the highest of film aesthetics, while others charge her with crimes against humanity for creating Nazi propaganda. Mueller has done his homework well, presenting a balanced view of both arguments in the form of authetic film footage and documents, and interviews with the director's contemporaries. Yet Mueller succeeds in uncovering the "real" Riefenstahl through one-on-one interviews with the filmmaker, some of which end with Riefenstahl cursing at the top of her lungs in German, denying in her own special way claims that she was Hitler's mistress or that she supported the Jewish Holocaust. Any other filmmaker might have quit at this point, but Mueller charges forward into Riefenstahl's later film and photographic work, detailing her adventures with the primitive Nuba tribes of Africa in the 1960s and her dynamic underwater photography. Short of three hours, Mueller's film, _The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl_, serves not only as a permanent record of one of the world's greatest film artists, but provides entertaining access to the lively person responsible for the visual and aesthetic air of superiority surrounding the most powerful fascist dictator of all time. END

The film is a tour de force because it presents Leni Riefenstahl from many perspectives: actress, director, sociologist, rugged individualist, with a complete profile of each facet of her personality. It might help to have read her autobiography before seeing the film, because many questions that other reviewers appear to have had are answered. With regard to her alleged complicity in the Nazi propagand machine, it seems to this writer that she was simply a product of her times and environment. She did not question, she participated, but only as an artist can participate, never questioning the validity or morality of her deeds, only their relevancy to the story of the moment which she was dedicated to telling as professionally and as dramatically as possible. With regard to her apparent indifference to the deeper issues, I feel that in this respect she (as a German) was no different from the millions of Americans today who placidly witness some of the more routine elements of national missile diplomacy on their TVs or in their newspapers and then, uncritically, change the channel or turn the page, never reflecting on the ruthless brutality or moral bankruptcy of such policies or the inevitable retaliatory consequences which will visit our own nation at a much later date.

Leni Riefenstahl, arguably the greatest film-maker yet to fully embrace the potential of medium, suffers through moronic interviews and offers us a glimpse into the mind and development of an artistic genius. One need only view "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia" in totality to recognize that this lady set the standard for what film can be, but rarely ever is, yet she only thought herself to be a mere craftsman. Hitchcock, Kubrick and Welles should be such craftsmen and perhaps were, but this woman was the first genius of film. To see her sit at age 91 in front of a primitive editing machine and show us how she worked is worth the price of this DVD alone. It is as if we could watch Picasso show us how he painted or Mozart show us how he composed.

Forget the revisionist history about her "Nazi sympathizing"; the world fawned over her films when they initially premiered in 1935 and 1936.The French and English gave both films their highest honor and the American critics tripped over themselves in lavishing rare and incredible praise, using such adjectives as "brilliant" and "genius". It was only after Hitler's descent into evil that we accused Reisenstahl of collaboration. We conviently forgot that in the years she made those films, we, too, were applauding the great German economic recovery.

What a life! A dancer in her teens, a film star in her twenties, the greatest film-maker of that or any time, a pariah to ease the guilt of the world which praised her, a chronicler of Nubian granduer in Africa and a brilliant underwater photographer in her nineties - Leni Reifenstahl lived a life that fiction couldn't create.

The short-comings of the interviewer aside, this is a rare oppurtunity to observe and listen to one of the two most influential women of the 20th century, the other being Lou-Andreas Salome. (Salome was the poet Rilke's lover, she jilted the philosopher Nietzche, took pyschoanalysis under Freud and became the first female pyschoanalyst.)

There is a movie being made about Leni. It will no doubt depict her a being misguided and possibly depict her as a nazi sympathizer. However, how will the movie tackle the issue of all the awards the world gave her films? Will the French, the English and the Americans who called her a genius back then also be called nazi sympathizers? And will they also be accused of not knowing better?

This is a mesmirizing film about a true genius who came along at the wrong time in the wrong place. It is as simple as that.

Since Leni Riefenstahl has just turned 100, I thought it would be well worth taking a second look at her remarkable life. Undoubtably a lot of people will be doing the same with the release of her new film (her first in nearly six decades) and the recent lawsuit filed against her by gypsy holocaust survivors.

Leni Riefenstahl was born in Berlin, Germany in 1902. She started off her career as a dancer, and later as an actress in silent films. She gained attention acting in mountain-adventure-type films. The ever ambitious Riefenstahl then moved into directing. When Hitler came to power, unlike many other people, Riefenstahl decided to stay in Germany and "cosy up" to Hitler and the Nazis. Although she was never a Nazi party member herself, her work was hardly apolitical as she would like us to believe.

Riefenstahl made the infamous documentary/propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". This film was a record of the Nazi Nuremberg rallies of 1934. Thanks to Riefenstahl's stunning direction and camera angles, Riefenstahl managed to transform a regime of murderous fascists into benign saviors of Depression ravaged Germany. To date, this film is considered to be the greatest propaganda film ever made, its techniques having influenced countless other films. Riefenstahl followed her work with "Olympia", another stunning film, this time a record of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This film depicted the German athletes as a superior Aryan race which Riefenstahl compares to the ancient Greeks.

After World War II, Riefenstahl found herself blacklisted by the West German government and condemned by the world. Despite loudly complaining that she was no Nazi pawn, Riefenstahl found herself, until recently, unable to direct another film. Undaunted, she took up photography. She also took up waterdiving where she photographs underwater marine life.

I found it fascinating and quite disturbing to listen to her account of her work for Hitler under the Third Reich. When it comes to accusations of complicity with the Nazis, her response seems to be deny, deny, deny. She claims that she knew about the Nazis' treatment of the Jews, but stayed in Germany to fight anti-semitism (which she never did). She claims that because her films have no anti-semitism in them, they are not propoganda. To me, this sounds like a pretty weak protest considering her films that glorify Nazis. Riefenstahl also claims that she was not pro-Nazi because she was not a Nazi party member. Another weak excuse. I notice too that although Riefenstahl claims to be sorry that she made her films, she then immediatly demands to know what it is she has done. The very fact that she cannot answer that question is disturbing.

I found it interesting how she responds when the director, Ray Muller, catches her in a lie. She claims she was not close to Hitler and Goebbels. Then, when Ray Muller presents her with evidence to the contrary (Goebbels' diary), she goes beserk. Riefenstahl also denies using Gypsies from a local concentration camp in one of her films. This despite the fact that the evidence is indisputable. I'll be very interested in seeing how this lawsuit turns out.

I was also fascinated to see how she behaves when she thinks she is off-camera. In one scene, she practically takes over directing in one shot of her in the mountains in order to assure quality. In another scene, she criticizes her colleague for not holding the camera steady while filming underwater. Riefenstahl displays a great deal of passion and, (dare I say it?), ruthlessness towards her craft.

Muller doesn't forget to include her post-war career as a photographer in Africa. In this field she also excels, taking pictures of an isolated African community during a dancing ritual. Her photographs are eerily similar to some of the shots in her films. Her work in underwater photography is dazzling. I'd be very interested in seeing her new film, "Underwater Impressions" to see how that holds up with the rest of her work.

Riefenstahl is undeniably a very talented artist and filmmaker. Her place in history is secure. However, her role during the Third Reich will haunt her to her grave. Those hoping to see a glorified account of Riefenstahl's life will be disappointed, but those expecting to see a detailed unbiased look at Riefenstahl could do no better than to watch this film.

This film raises many, many provocative questions about Riefenstahl and her work. More importantly, the director also confronts her with these, and, given the nature of the accusations against her, she is less than revealing. One wonders which of the many charges leveled at her bother the most? Is she more bothered by the complaints that she was a Nazi collaborator, or by the critique that her work contains a Fascistic aesthetic. Ultimately, this documentary comes off as an antidote to Riefenstahl. It poses no clear answers, and often seems involved in trivia. Watching Riefenstahl reminisce with her 'Olympiad' cameramen was interesting, but dry. Seeing her physically shove the director of this documentary emphasizes the frustration she feels at not being to present her point of view.

At times, Muller's documentary could have taken some tips from its subject: it was overlong, and seemed lacking in drama, and seemed to get absorbed in the minutia. The presence of Muller and his crew often seemed distracting; usually, when a documentarian appears in their own film, I expect to see more about their own personal interest. Shots of Riefenstahl alone in the massive settings of her documentaries were powerful, but it seems difficult to reconcile with her busy lifestyle with current partner.

Last week, Reuters reported that Riefenstahl, at 98, survived a plane crash in Africa, where she was returning to visit the Nuba. 'Triumph of the Will' seems to refer much better to Riefenstahl herself than to her subjects.

This is a wonderful story of the many careers of this incredible woman. Still living and working in Berlin, Leni continues to amaze even her most serious detractors. Lengthly and very detailed the film takes us through her life, starting with her early film career in Germany under Hitler. By it's very nature, it's her side of the story and many will not agree (or want to agree) with her story. However, the film is an excellent introduction to the life and work of a master filmmaker. She may not give the answers that her detractors are seeking, but she is believable and candid.

The main point here is her talent, her dedication and the incredible contribution she's made to the film industry. This is a must-have film for anyone interested in the history of film.

I had no knowledge of Leni Riefenstahl, her social/political significance in society or why she was so controversial until this aired on PBS, in 1994. Riefenstahl, best known for directing two infamous documentaries, THE TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and OLYMPIAD, that sympathetically depicted the Nazi party. Riefenstahl, born in Berlin, began as an interpretive dancer, a movie star, a mountain climber and then a filmmaker.

What was my perception of Len Riefenstahl? I think that she was an incredibly charismatic individual (even at the age of 90, when the film was made). I felt a little sick when they were discussing the Nazis, and her part in (her words) unknowingly glorifying the party's beliefs. I am not sure if I was convinced of that at all. However, this is a very important film that takes a look at the body of work of a very prolific, independent and fiesty woman who stood on her own two feet, up until the very end of her life.

...this remains an important and gripping documentary!

It's difficult to describe the amazing power of Leni Riefenstahl's persuasive personality, yet Muller has beautifully managed to create and capture 3+ hours of intensely compelling documentary. It is beautifully preserved on this DVD, which unfortunately offers no special features.

Director and Subject are both fascinating. Since a decade has passed since the late Leni Riefenstahl was interviewed for this opus, it would be great to have had a bonus commentary track or an "update" featurette.

Having had the unique opportunity to correspond with both artists, I am impressed and awed by this documentary's ability to present a fair and balanced portrait of one of the most (if not THE MOST) controversial filmmakers of the 20th Century.