Re: Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will

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Posted by TG on July 29, 2000 at 08:16:56

In Reply to: Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will posted by maldar on July 28, 2000 at 13:05:11:

Her work is fascinating, isn't it. I've seen both the Nuremburg Rally & 1936 Olympics films, the bio-documentary made a few years ago, and one of her "mountain" films (can't remember the title). The films she made for the National Socialist party are the most interesting.

I think the spellbinding aura of her films is due to the fact that they exceed our expectations of the genre, even though we somehow hope they will be flawed. Obvious propaganda can be shunned, derided, or coldly analysed as a mere curiosity (something those terrible people did, but oh, of course terribly banal and transparent to our modern critical gaze) but her films are so professional and groundbreaking that one can't help but admire them. Rather like Hitchcock's common device of making us feel sympathetic towards the villain. Whether she was a committed nazi or just a filmmaker fulfilling a commission one thing is certain - she believed passionately in her works and poured all her creative soul into them.

I think what sets her propaganda/documentaries apart from other such films is the tremendous sense of their own truth which they present. The Nuremburg Rally documentary in particular uses symbolism and cinematography of enormous, sweeping grandeur. This is no cheap piece of propaganda presenting banal or offensive images - it is more like a mythic spectacle - Siegfried performed by a cast of thousands and couducted by a maestro - the only problem was that Siegfried was played by Hitler.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will - maldar 13:05:11 07/28/00 (15)

Sorry guys: the new ALERT feature made me a bit paranoid! - maldar 16:00:23 07/31/00 (0)

gee, maldar I think you are overly being pc. - kuma 16:31:35 07/30/00 (1)

Maldar, I agree completely with Kuma. - gino 08:11:57 07/31/00 (0)

to the moderators and forum participants who read this thread - maldar 09:10:17 07/30/00 (1)

Re: to the moderators and forum participants who read this thread - Jim Treanor 08:09:01 07/31/00 (0)

Re: Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will - TG 08:16:56 07/29/00 (3)

Re: well said TG - maldar 09:53:39 07/29/00 (2)

Re: well said TG - Victor Khomenko 10:46:50 07/29/00 (1)

reply to victor - maldar 21:12:56 07/29/00 (0)

Re: Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will - Jim Treanor 19:54:11 07/28/00 (3)

Reply : to Jim - maldar 10:05:06 07/29/00 (2)

Re: Reply : to Jim - Jim Treanor 11:13:08 07/29/00 (1)

Rockwell - maldar 21:49:02 07/29/00 (0)

Re: Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will - Victor Khomenko 13:20:11 07/28/00 (1)

Reply to Victor - maldar 14:33:12 07/28/00 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will - TG 08:16:56 07/29/00 (3)

Re: well said TG - maldar 09:53:39 07/29/00 (2)

Re: well said TG - Victor Khomenko 10:46:50 07/29/00 (1)

reply to victor - maldar 21:12:56 07/29/00 (0)

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