Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/26

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Leni Riefenstahl
From: mlpowell at sbcglobal.net (Matthew Powell)
Date: Thu Aug 26 20:17:15 2004
References: <3.0.2.32.20040825200112.01e0e208@pop.infionline.net> <200408250031.i7P0VU900699@prawn.serverhost.net> <200408250031.i7P0VU900699@prawn.serverhost.net> <3.0.2.32.20040825200112.01e0e208@pop.infionline.net> <3.0.2.32.20040826223409.01eaa82c@pop.infionline.net>

On Aug 26, 2004, at 9:34 PM, Marc James Small wrote:
> Well, I DO understand her chronological filmography:  she made TRIUMPH 
> DES
> WILLENS in 1934 and OLYMPIAD in 1936 and, thereafter, made nothing for 
> the
> Nazis
While I know you enjoy repeating this over and over, it's simply not 
true.

The proto-Triumph in 1933, Triumph in 1934, Olympiad I and II (finished 
in 1938, premiered for Hitler's birthday), the stint as a war 
correspondent in Poland and the film Tiefland (wherein she's accused of 
selecting Rom from the camps for extras and sending them back to be 
slaughtered), not completed under the Nazi regime. That's just the 
filmography.

> I am asking those who can show of any support by Riefenstahl for the 
> Nazi
> Party or German Government after 1936 to produce some proof of this.

You mean like all the stuff that's been posted?

Aside from her film history, we have congratulatory cables at the 
capitulation of France, letters written to Hitler during his rise to 
power, relationships with ranking Nazis and Hitler himself, a latent 
investigation by German authorities into the Tiefland incident and 
Holocaust denial (ongoing at the time of her death).

> Note that Riefenstahl's involvement is quite early, quite brief, and 
> quite
> limited.  She deserves evaluation of her entire opera, not just for one
> 22-month period during which she made two movies.

You're absolutely right, she shouldn't be evaluated solely on Triumph 
and filming Olympiad. She should also be evaluated on pre-Enabling Act 
relationships with the Nazi leadership. She should be evaluated on her 
Nazi rally film that preceded Triumph. She should be evaluated on the 
additional years spent working with and for the Nazis after filming the 
Olympiads (that pesky 'editing' thing). She should be evaluated on 
being a Nazi war correspondent and continuing to make films with them 
during the war. (And while her role in the selection of the Rom used in 
Tiefland is unconfirmable, the fact that her extras were sent to the 
camps after filming is a known fact.)

And, though I may be alone here (no), she should absolutely be 
evaluated on her refusal, over more than a half-century, to repudiate 
her Nazi propaganda and relationships. Would a "my bad" have been so 
tough?

  When we evaluate her entire life and career we discover that your 
stated "22-month period" was, in fact, only a small portion of her 
collaboration with Hitler and the Nazi party. Good thing we've got all 
those other films and incidents to look at, huh?

> Marc
>
> msmall@infionline.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
> Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



In reply to: Message from msmall at infionline.net (Marc James Small) ([Leica] Leni Riefenstahl)
Message from kitmc at vuelux.com (Kit McChesney | Vuelux) ([Leica] Leni Riefenstahl)
Message from msmall at infionline.net (Marc James Small) ([Leica] Leni Riefenstahl)