Flirting with disaster

Everything is politics. And in the glamorous industry of
filmmaking, sometimes it’s not just what you do or how well
you do it; it’s mainly who you know. For late German
filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, this was a lesson learned the hard
way.

An actress turned director turned photographer, Riefenstahl was
a woman of many talents. It was not, however, until an admirer by
the name of Adolf Hitler asked her to direct a film that her
revolutionary style and notorious relationship with the Nazi leader
helped her become recognized as one of the most controversial
filmmakers of her time.

Her two most famous documentaries, “The Triumph of the
Will” and “Olympia,” were seen as definitive
propaganda films for Nazified Germany that cost her a career as a
filmmaker.

According to Andrea Alsberg, co-head of public programming at
the Archive who put on the series, the series aims to show
audiences the breadth of Riefenstahl’s work and to shed light
on her most influential, yet controversial, films.

“We were approached by the Institute to do a program a
year after her death,” Alsberg said. “But it was also
intuitive given the political situation today.”

While it can hardly be said that the past election was anything
close to the political horror that took place in Europe in the
1930s, the documentaries of both time periods radiate propaganda
sentiment. Today, in documentaries such as “Fahrenheit
9/11″, filmmakers like Michael Moore express their own
political views. Riefenstahl, however, was voicing someone
else’s opinion ““ that of Hitler and his Nazi regime.
Still, Riefenstahl had always regarded herself as apolitical.

“(Riefenstahl) denied that those were her politics
throughout her life,” Alsberg said. “But
“˜Triumph’ was blatant propaganda. Even in her earlier
entertainment films, you can see elements of what would later
become her propaganda.”

Riefenstahl’s association with Hitler was truly a
double-edged sword. On one hand, it had established her name as a
filmmaker; on the other, it had killed her career.

“Maybe she was at the right place at the right
time,” Alsberg said. “Or, she was at the wrong place at
the wrong time. Had Riefenstahl had other material, would she have
created a masterpiece? You just don’t know.”

And while her work has raised questions for decades, it might be
her character that creates even more controversy than her films
ever could alone.

She was the biggest liar in the world,” said film
professor Marina Goldovskaya, who specializes in documentary
filmmaking. “I cannot blame her for her films, but I blame
her for never having said, “˜I am guilty.’ She was very
much under Hitler’s spell.”

In “Triumph,” Riefenstahl filmed the 1934 Nazi Party
rally in Nuremberg under Hitler’s insistence.
“Olympia” documented the 1936 Summer Olympics in
Berlin. Both films were artistic achievements in editing, rhythm
and structure, especially “Olympia,” whose diving
sequence established Riefenstahl’s innovative use of montage
and splicing.

Both films also glorified Nazism. And though
“Olympia” devoted much footage to black track athlete
Jesse Owens, its celebration of the human form was a prime example
of the significance of “Aryan” beauty to Nazi
aesthetics.

“Documentary has a strong impact on audiences because of
its real location, real people and real events,” Goldovskaya
said. “That’s why it’s so important to be morally
and ethically honest.”

Despite the elusive truth, Riefenstahl’s gift as a
filmmaker is evident.

“In essence, if you can separate the fact that she made
these films and actually look at her filmmaking, in a way,
it’s a pity,” Alsberg said. “She was a really
fine filmmaker. Her editing is unbelievable; it’s superb. Her
talent was used for terrible reasons, and she’s very much to
blame. But if you take all that away, her films are so
fascinating.”

Perhaps by showing films such as “Triumph,” the
series will also shed light on Riefenstahl, whose life story can be
described as a triumph of the will itself.

“I am happy that the Archive is making this series. It
will make people think,” said Goldovskaya. “Some people
don’t think, they just accept that she’s a genius. I
think (this program) will make people question that.”