German filmmaker (1902-2003). She became
infamous after directing
propaganda films for the
Nazis, like "
Olympia" and "
Triumph of the Will." She always denied that she was anything more than a
cameraperson for the Nazi
documentaries, but she is still believed to have been a major
player in the Nazi
propaganda machine. Since the end of
World War II, she directed only one film -- "
Tiefland," a
drama released in 1954.
Her best known films were "Olympia" and "Triumph of the Will." Both of them are artfully and beautifully
photographed. "
Olympia," a
documentary on the
Berlin Olympics, spotlights
Jesse Owens'
triumphs over the German
athletes -- with enough
juxtaposition of Owens and Hitler to make it clear what a tremendous
slap in the face this was to Hitler's fantasies of
Aryan superiority. This film is
educational and it can even be
fun for many people to watch. "
Triumph of the Will," however, is a
vile little
Valentine to
Adolf Hitler, made even more
disgusting by the skill and
passion in which the film is put together. It is likely to induce an urge to
wash oneself.
Repeatedly. With a
wire brush.
I'll excuse a lot of things for the sake of
art. But though Riefenstahl's
films are undeniably art, they were still art in the service of Hitler and the
Nazis, and I have an awful lot of trouble excusing that. If there's any
justice, she will be forgotten sooner, rather than later.