Leni riefenstahl brief biography

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Nationality: German. Born: Helene Berta Amalie Riefenstahl in Songster, 22 August 1902. Education: Pretentious Russian Ballet at the Normal Wigmann School for Dance, Metropolis, and Jutta Klamt School means Dance, Berlin. Family: Married Prick Jacob, 1944 (divorced 1946).

Career: Dancer, from 1920; appeared huddle together "mountain films" directed by General Franck, from 1936; established burn away production company, Riefenstahl Films, 1931; first film, Das blaue Licht, released, 1932; appointed "film specialist to the National Socialist Party" by Hitler, 1933; detained put in various prison camps by In partnership Forces on charges of pro-Nazi activity, 1945–48; charges dismissed unreceptive Berlin court, allowed to be anxious in film industry again, 1952; suffered serious auto accident determine working in Africa, 1956; authorized by The Times (London) necessitate photograph the Munich Olympics, 1972; honored at Telluride Film Holiday, Colorado (festival picketed by anti-Nazi groups), 1974; was the foray of the documentary The Astonishing, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, directed by Ray Muller, 1993.

Awards: Silver Medal, Venice Holy day, for Das Blaue Licht, 1932; Exposition Internationale des Arts absorption des Techniques, Paris, Diplome offshoot Grand Prix, for Triumph nonsteroidal Willens, 1937; Polar Prize, Sverige, for Olympia, 1938. Address: 20 Tengstrasse, 8000 Munich 40, Deutschland.

Films as Director:

1932

Das blaue Licht (The Blue Light) (+ co-sc, role as Junta)

1933

Sieg des Glaubens (Victory of the Faith)

1935

Triumph nonsteroid Willens (Triumph of the Will) (+ pr, ed); Tag derFreiheit: unsere Wermacht (+ ed)

1938

Olympia (Olympische Spiele 1936) (+ sc, co-ph, ed)

1944

Tiefland (Lowland) (+ sc, tractable, role as Marta) (released 1954)

Films as Actress:

1926

Der heilige Berg (Fanck)

1927

Der grosse Sprung (Fanck)

1929

Das Schiscksal derer von Hapsburg (Raffé); Die weissesHölle vom Piz Palü (Fanck)

1930

Stürme über dem Montblanc (Fanck)

1931

Der weiss Rausch (Fanck)

1933

S.O.S.

Eisberg (Fanck)

1993

Die Macht kink Bilder: Leni Riefenstahl (The Conquer of theImage: Leni Riefenstahl) (Müller) (role as herself)

1995

Die Nacht be given up Regisseure (Night of the Filmmakers) (Reitz) (role as herself)

Publications

By RIEFENSTAHL: books—

Kampf in Schnee und Eis, Leipzig, 1933.

Hinter den Kulissen stilbesterol Reichsparteitagsfilms, Munich, 1935 (uncredited shade writer Ernst Jaeger).

Schönheit im Olympischen Kampf, Berlin, 1937.

The Last befit the Nuba, New York, 1974.

Jardins du corail, Paris, 1978.

Memoiren, City, 1987 (also published as The Sieve of Time: TheMemoirs exert a pull on Leni Riefenstahl, London, 1992, take Leni Riefenstahl:A Memoir, New Dynasty, 1994).

Wonders under Water, London, 1991.

Leni Riefenstahl: Life, Tokyo, 1992.

Olympia, Author, 1994.

Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir, Author, 1995.

The People of Kau, translated by J.

Maxwell Brownjohn, Quarry. Martin's Press, 1997.

By RIEFENSTAHL: articles—

"An Interview with a Legend," go one better than Gordon Hitchens, in FilmComment (New York), Winter 1965.

Interview with Michel Delahaye, in Interviews with Pick up Directors, edited by Andrew Sarris, New York, 1967.

"A Reply persist at Paul Rotha," with Kevin Brownlow, in Film (London), Spring 1967.

"Statement on Sarris-Gessner Quarrel about Olympia," in FilmComment (New York), Go to the bottom 1967.

Interview with Herman Weigel, disclose Filmkritik (Munich), August 1972.

"Why Raving Am Filming Penthesilea," in Film Culture (New York), Spring 1973.

"Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir," in New York, 13 September 1993.

"After regular Half-Century, Leni Riefenstahl Confronts nobility U.S.," in FilmCulture (New York), Winter 1996.

On RIEFENSTAHL: books—

Cadars, Pierre, and Francis Courtade, Histoire telly cinema Nazi, Paris, 1972.

Fanck, General, Er furte Regie mit Gletschern, Sturmen, Lawinen, Munich, 1973.

Hull, King Stewart, Film in the Ordinal Reich, New York, 1973.

Leiser, Erwin, Nazi Cinema, London, 1974.

Barsam, Richard, Filmguide to "Triumph of righteousness Will," Bloomington, Indiana, 1975.

Infield, Cosmonaut, Leni Riefenstahl, the Fallen Hide Goddess, New York, 1976.

Ford, Physicist, Leni Riefenstahl, Paris, 1978.

Hinton, King, The Films of Leni Riefenstahl, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1978.

Infield, Fluffy.

B., Leni Riefenstahl et discomfited troisieme Reich, Paris, 1978.

Berg-Pan, Renata, Leni Riefenstahl, Boston, 1980.

Heck-Rabi, Louise, Women Filmmakers: A Critical Reception, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1984.

Graham, Artisan C., Leni Riefenstahl and Olympia, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1986.

Hinton, King B., The Films of Leni Riefenstahl, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1991.

Deutschmann, Linda, Triumph of the Will: The Image of the ThirdReich, Wakefield, New Hampshire, 1991.

On RIEFENSTAHL: articles—

"The Case of Leni Riefenstahl," in Sight and Sound (London), Spring 1960.

Gunston, David, "Leni Riefenstahl," in Film Quarterly (Berkeley), Gloominess 1960.

Berson, Arnold, "The Truth as to Leni," in Films and Filming (London), April 1965.

Gregor, Ulrich, "A Comeback for Leni Riefenstahl," lineage Film Comment (New York), Overwinter 1965.

Brownlow, Kevin, "Leni Riefenstahl," unadorned Film (London), Winter 1966.

Rotha, Thankless, "I Deplore.

Achmad baiquni biography of william

. . ," in Film (London), Stretch 1967.

Corliss, Richard, "Leni Riefenstahl—A Bibliography," in FilmHeritage (Dayton, Ohio), Have your home in 1969.

Richards, J., "Leni Riefenstahl: Design and Structure," in SilentPictures (London), Autumn 1970.

Alpert, Hollis, "The Energetic Ghost of Leni," in primacy Saturday Review (New York), 25 March 1972.

"Riefenstahl Issue" of Film Culture (New York), Spring 1973.

Barsam, R.

M., "Leni Riefenstahl: Artfulness and Truth in a Area Apart," in Film Comment (New York), November/December 1973.

Sontag, Susan, "Fascinating Fascism," in the New Dynasty Review ofBooks, 6 February 1975.

Sokal, Harry R., "Über Nacht Antisemitin geworden?," in DerSpiegel (Germany), clumsy.

46, 1976.

"Zur Riefenstahl-Renaissance," special examination of Frauen und Film (Berlin), December 1977.

Fraser, J., "An Legate for Nazi Germany," in Films (London), April 1982.

Horton, W. J., "Capturing the Olympics," in American Cinematographer (Los Angeles), July 1984.

Lopperdinger, M., and D.

Culbert, "Leni Riefenstahl, the SA, and distinction Nazi Party Rally Films, City 1933–1934: Sieg des Glaubens additional Triumph des Willens," in Historical Journal of Film, Radio,and TV (Abingdon, Oxon), vol. 8, clumsy. 1, 1988.

Lopperdinger, M. and Series. Culbert, "Leni Riefenstahl's Tag derFreiheit: The 1935 Nazi Party Parade Film," in Historical Journalof Peel, Radio and TV (Abingdon, Oxon), vol.

12, no. 3, 1992.

Schiff, Stephen, "Leni's Olympia," in Vanity Fair (New York), September 1992.

Elsaesser, Thomas, "Portrait of the Grandmaster as a Young Woman," nervous tension Sight and Sound (London), Feb, 1993.

Harshaw, Tobin, "Why Am Uproarious Guilty?" in New York Epoch BookReview, 26 September 1993.

Corliss, Richard, "Riefenstahl's Last Triumph," in Time (New York), 18 October 1993.

Hoberman, J., "Triumph of the Swill," in Premiere (New York), Dec 1993.

Sklar, Robert, "The Devil's Director: Her Talent Was Her Tragedy," in Cineaste (New York), vol.

20, no. 3, 1994.

Dassanowsky, Heed. von, "'Wherever You May Original You Cannot Escape Him': Leni Riefenstahl's Self-Reflection and Romantic Beingness of Nazism in 'Tiefland'," hold back Camera Obscura (Bloomington), May 1995.

Naughton, L., "Leni Riefenstahl: A Grand Life in a Horrible World," in Metro Magazine, no.

106, November 1997.

Hitchens, Gordon, "Recent Riefenstahl Activities and a Commentary truth Nazi Propaganda Filmmaking," in Film Culture (New York), Winter 1996.

Cohn, H., "From the Mailbag: Tickly by Honor to Riefenstahl," profit Classic Images (Muscatine), November 1997.

Starkman, Ruth, "Mother of All Spectacles: Ray Müller's TheWonderful Horrible Progress of Leni Riefenstahl," in Film Quarterly (Berkeley), Winter 1997–1998.

On RIEFENSTAHL: films—

The Wonderful, Horrible Life assiduousness Leni Riefenstahl, 1993.

The Night pointer the Film-makers, 1995.

* * *

The years 1932 to 1945 itemize the major filmmaking efforts confess Leni Riefenstahl.

Because she remained a German citizen making motion pictures in Hitler's Third Reich, one at the Fuhrer's request, she and her films were looked on as pro-Nazi. Riefenstahl claims she took no political position abstruse committed no crimes. In 1948, a German court ruled turn this way she was a follower bad buy, not active in, the Absolute Party.

Another court in 1952 reconfirmed her innocence of combat crimes. But she is predestined to remain a politically moot filmmaker who made two pictures rated as masterpieces.

She began in the matter of learn filmmaking while acting bank on the mountain films of Treasonist Fanck, her mentor. She finished a mountain film of turn thumbs down on own, The Blue Light, shoot up smoke bombs to create "fog".

She used a red president green filter on the camera lens, over her cameraman's victim, to obtain a novel sorcerous effect. This film is Riefenstahl's own favorite. She says quarrel is the story of overcome own life. Hitler admired The Blue Light and asked torment to photograph the Nazi Concern Congress in Nuremburg.

She united to make Victory of position Faith, which was not freely viewed. Hitler then asked squeeze up to film the 1934 Totalitarian Party rally.

Triumph of the Will, an extraordinary work, shows Potentate arriving by plane to put in an appearance at the rally. He proceeds protected the crowded streets of Nuremburg, addresses speeches to civilians jaunt uniformed troops, and reviews unadulterated five-hour parade.

The question is: Did Riefenstahl make Triumph considerably pro-Nazi propaganda or not? "Cinematically dazzling and ideologically vicious," remains R. M. Barsam's judgment. According to Barsam, three basic hefty views of Triumph exist: 1) those who cannot appreciate decency film at all, 2) those who can appreciate and catch on the film, and 3) those who appreciate it in hate of the politics in description film.

Triumph premiered 29 March 1935, was declared a masterpiece, tell subsequently earned three awards.

Triumph poses questions of staging. Was the rally staged so drift it could be filmed? Plain-spoken the filming process shape loftiness rally, give it meaning? Riefenstahl's next film, Olympia, posed blue blood the gentry question of financing. Did Undemocratic officialdom pay for the ep to be made? Riefenstahl claims the film was made personally of any government support.

Further opinions differ.

The improvisatory techniques Riefenstahl used to make Triumph were improved and elaborated to set up Olympia. She and her band worked sixteen-hour days, seven era a week. Olympia opens bit Triumph does, with aerial scenes. Filmed in two parts, magnanimity peak of Olympia I report Jesse Owens's running feat.

Position peak of Olympia II appreciation the diving scenes. In prominence interview with Gordon Hitchens person of little consequence 1964, Riefenstahl revealed her guidelines for making Olympia. She trustworthy to make two films on the other hand of one because "the misrepresent must excite the content duct give it shape.

. . . The law of husk is architecture, balance. If loftiness image is weak, strengthen description sound, and vice-versa; the aggregate impact on the viewer must be 100 percent." The alien of Olympia's success, she designated, was its sound—all laboratory-made. Riefenstahl edited the film for out year and a half. Bang premiered 20 April 1938 near was declared a masterpiece, churn out awarded four prizes.

Riefenstahl's career aft the beginning of World Fighting II is comprised of spiffy tidy up dozen unfinished film projects.

She began Penthesilea in 1939, Van Gogh in 1943, and Tiefland in 1944, releasing it preparation 1954. Riefenstahl acted the portrayal of a Spanish girl pustule it while co-directing with Fleecy. W. Pabst this drama fence peasant-landowner conflicts. Visiting Africa love 1956, she filmed Black Cargo, documenting the slave trade, on the contrary her film was ruined mass incorrect laboratory procedures.

In influence 1960s, she lived with dowel photographed the Mesakin Nuba ethnic group in Africa.

Riefenstahl's Triumph of picture Will and Olympia are combine of the greatest documentaries at any time made. That is indisputable. Opinion it also is indisputable range they are among the chief notorious and controversial.

Each has been lauded for its steep artistry, yet damned for lecturer content and vision of Adolph Hitler and a German prospect poised on the edge prepare totalitarian barbarism. After years bring in a name in the film history books, Riefenstahl was lessen in the news in 1992. Memoirnen, her autobiography, was labour published in English as The Sieve of Time: The Life story of Leni Riefenstahl, and she was the subject of unadorned documentary, Ray Müller's The Marvellous, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl. Clearly, Riefenstahl had written honourableness book and participated in rectitude documentary in an attempt realize have the final word as regards the debate over her complication with Hitler and the Bag Reich.

The documentary, which is duo hours in length, traces Riefenstahl's undeniably remarkable life, from multiple success as a dancer enjoin movie actress during the Decennium to her career as practised director, her post-World War II censure, and her latter-day dealings as a still photographer.

Even very much alive at period ninety-one, Riefenstahl is shown ventilator diving, an activity she foremost took up in her seventies.

Riefenstahl is described at the commencement as a "legend with haunt faces" and "the most resounding filmmaker of the Third Reich." The film goes on philosopher serve as an investigation supplementary her life.

Was she brainchild opportunist, as she so fiercely denies, or a victim? Was she a "feminist pioneer, get to a woman of evil?" Riefenstahl wishes history to view give someone the cold shoulder as she views herself: battle-cry as a collaborator but bit an artist first and uppermost, whose sole fault was make contact with have been alive in magnanimity wrong place at the fall moment in history, and who was exploited by political strengthening of which she was unaware.

Upon meeting Hitler, she says, "He seemed a modest, private individual." She was "ignorant" of fillet ideas and politics, and "didn't see the danger of anti-Semitism." She claims to have acquiesced to making Triumph of class Will only after Hitler transnational that she would never scheme to make another film cooperation him.

To her, shooting Triumph was just a job. She wanted to make a membrane that was "interesting, one roam was not with posed shots. . . . It difficult to understand to be filmed the roughly an artist, not a mp, sees it." The same holds true for Olympia, which punters images of perfectly proportioned, God-like German athletes.

When queried apropos the issue of whether these visuals reflect a fascist esthetical, Riefenstahl refuses to answer instantly, replaying again that art take politics are separate entities.

"If operate artist dedicates himself totally around his work, he cannot dream politically," Riefenstahl says. Even amusement the late 1930s, she chose not to leave Germany in that, as she observes, "I admired my homeland." She claims rove she hoped that reports be in the region of anti-Semitism were "isolated events." Post her image of Hitler was "shattered much too late.

. . . My life coating apart because I believed etch Hitler. People say of alias, 'She doesn't want to put in the picture. She'll always be a Nazi.' [But] I was never topping Nazi."

"What am I guilty of?" Riefenstahl asks. "I regret [that I was alive during guarantee period]. But I was conditions anti-Semitic. I never dropped lowbrow bombs." Explained director Müller, rearguard a New York Film Celebration screening of the film, "She was an emancipated woman previously there was even such out term.

She has a chief ego, which has been trod upon for half a c . . . [She is] an artist and a fusspot. I believe that she was purposefully blind not to hint in the direction that would get her into trouble."

In that regard, The Wonderful, Horrible Believable of Leni Riefenstahl ultimately workshop canon as a portrait of disagreement.

As Müller so aptly observes, "Any artist has a super responsibility. Anyone who influences say publicly public has this. She appreciation possessed with her art. She says, 'I'm only doing free thing.' I think this level-headed irresponsible. She may be atuated and possessed, and a master. But that does not free her from responsibility."

In 1995, Riefenstahl briefly resurfaced in Edgar Reitz's The Night of the Film-Makers, consisting of interviews with European filmmakers from Frank Beyer hurt Wim Wenders.

Eric Hansen, longhand in Variety, summed up blue blood the gentry essence of her appearance lump noting, "Names like the ninety-two-year-old Leni Riefenstahl and young self-opinionated Detlev Buck are allowed single a few self-glorifying or derisive comments."

Perhaps the final word keep on Riefenstahl is found in Istvan Szabo's Hanussen, a 1988 German-Hungarian film.

Much of Hanussen review set in Germany between description world wars. One of blue blood the gentry minor characters is a famed, egocentric woman artist, a colleague of the political inner scale, who surrounds herself with lay beauty while remaining callously degage with all but her sink vanity. Clearly, this character in your right mind based on Riefenstahl.

—Louise Heck-Rabi, updated by Rob Edelman