Hitlers Olympia

This film is not currently available on DVD. Film Description Featuring Fest der Volker (Festival of the People) and Fest der Schonheit (Festival of Beauty), Riefenstahl represents the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games as a pagan celebration of the human body and its achievements. Important, influential and highly controversial.

Film Details Director Leni Riefenstahl Starring   Country Germany Language  -- Year 1936

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Review by Wolfram Parge on 13th January 2004

Leni Riefenstahl died last year, on Monday September 8th, aged 101. 'Hitler's film-maker dies' was how news of her death broke internationally, and while some would have jubilantly added more topsoil to her grave, others might have saluted the passing of a genius. Nowhere is her passion for photography and her zest for life more evident than in her film Olympia, her monolithic two-part document celebrating the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Part one follows the Olympic nations in competition: athletes in their starting positions, watched by feverish crowds as the tension breaks. World records are broken and the spirit of human effort and of hope and defeat suffuses all events. The legendary American sprinter Jesse Owens is seen in his most magnificent splendour as he tarries for Olympic Gold, here every nervous second of the runner, thrower and swimmer can be felt. Iconic images of divers held in the air like beautiful butterflies lead to Olympia 's second part, which renders all the spectacular grace of the athletes, phenomenal muscular control of gymnasts to boats racing forward and horses gliding across their barriers. In truth only the eyes can appreciate what is written here, as no one has ever quite captured the elation of movement with its astonishing freshness like Leni Riefenstahl. One of the greatest photographed scenes in the world is of the shadows cast on the ground by two athletes running.

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