Leni Reifenstalh
History is about Winners: How accurate is this statement in relation to the personality you have studied?
Leni Riefenstahl’s association with the Nazi party proves damaging to her reputation as all those associated (no matter to what extent or there motivations for doing do) with the regime have been intensely vilified. This proffers evidence to the fact history is indeed favorable to those who prevail as triumphant and defame the losing side. Riefenstahl’s post-war career has been an attempt to distance herself from the losing Nazi regime. This can be seen through her work with Nuba, underwater photography and the Muller documentary.
Due to Germany losing World War II, the process of de-Nazification occurred in which Riefenstahl was involved with. Internationally within many media reports she was hailed as “The Nazi pin-up girl” and “Goebbels plaything’ in accordance to her personal relationships with members of the Nazi inner circle. During the post-war era Riefenstahl’s reputation as a ‘loser’ only increased. Not only encountering international scrutiny Riefenstahl was also imprisoned by Allied forces, had film stock seized, spent time in an asylum and faced the breakdown of her marriage. Hence displaying challenge faced by those socially vilified.
During the 1950‘s Riefenstahl, in an attempt to rectify her own professional dignity and appear an artistic ‘winner’ endeavored to photograph the Nuba tribe of Sudan, Africa and from 1968 photograph oceania life. Riefenstahl’s attempt to appear as a “apolitical artist” as her memories suggests is continuously challenged by various historians notably Sontag in her article “Fascinating Fascism” who claims that her photographs of the Nuba are “clearly continuous with her Nazi work”. Much like films created in the Third Reich such as Olympia, The Last of the Nuba places emphasis on the idea of the beautiful body aesthetic. “godlike Nuba, emblems of physical perfection”.
Ray Muller documentary “A Wonderful
Leni Riefenstahl’s association with the Nazi party proves damaging to her reputation as all those associated (no matter to what extent or there motivations for doing do) with the regime have been intensely vilified. This proffers evidence to the fact history is indeed favorable to those who prevail as triumphant and defame the losing side. Riefenstahl’s post-war career has been an attempt to distance herself from the losing Nazi regime. This can be seen through her work with Nuba, underwater photography and the Muller documentary.
Due to Germany losing World War II, the process of de-Nazification occurred in which Riefenstahl was involved with. Internationally within many media reports she was hailed as “The Nazi pin-up girl” and “Goebbels plaything’ in accordance to her personal relationships with members of the Nazi inner circle. During the post-war era Riefenstahl’s reputation as a ‘loser’ only increased. Not only encountering international scrutiny Riefenstahl was also imprisoned by Allied forces, had film stock seized, spent time in an asylum and faced the breakdown of her marriage. Hence displaying challenge faced by those socially vilified.
During the 1950‘s Riefenstahl, in an attempt to rectify her own professional dignity and appear an artistic ‘winner’ endeavored to photograph the Nuba tribe of Sudan, Africa and from 1968 photograph oceania life. Riefenstahl’s attempt to appear as a “apolitical artist” as her memories suggests is continuously challenged by various historians notably Sontag in her article “Fascinating Fascism” who claims that her photographs of the Nuba are “clearly continuous with her Nazi work”. Much like films created in the Third Reich such as Olympia, The Last of the Nuba places emphasis on the idea of the beautiful body aesthetic. “godlike Nuba, emblems of physical perfection”.
Ray Muller documentary “A Wonderful