Leni Riefenstahl Essay

Three most significant events in Leni Riefenstahl's professional life Leni had many changes within her career throughout her life time. Three of these events that have been the most significant in Riefenstahl's professional life have been her films which include "The Blue Light", "Triumph Of The Will" and "Olympia". For Riefenstahl her film The Blue Light is one of the most significant events in her life. This was a film that Riefenstahl produced without the Nazi Party or Hitler's personal help. Due to this "The Blue Light" is not classed as Nazi propaganda like her other films she will produce in the later years. For the production of "The Blue Light" Riefenstahl had only six crew and filmed in unimaginable conditions. These included
having no amenities during the time of filming as well as having no bedding and either "sleeping in the open or in hay stalls offered by local peasants"(Bach, 2007). To finish the editing of the film and producing the blue glow that was needed to come from the crystals in the mountain Riefenstahl "used a new infrared stock from Agfa that resulted in iridescent light effects in black and white"(Bach, 2007). As all of the filming for "The Blue Light" was done in the mountains Riefenstahl used the local people for extras. As her ideas for "The Blue Light" came into practice its originality was questioned as it was following the same concept to that of Gustav Renker's novel "Rock Crystal." Riefenstahl managed to overcome this criticism and questioning because of the new technologies she had used in the film. If it wasn’t for her personal stubbornness and experimentation the film would have never had the originality it has. Due to her experimentation Riefenstahl learnt that "if green and red filters [were placed] together [it] would create a magical effect". This further made Riefenstahl's film "The Blue Light" one of the most significant events in her professional life. The next film Riefenstahl went onto produce was her 1934 film "Triumph Of The Will." This film went onto become the most well known propaganda film for the Nazi's.
This developed her career in film making dramatically and became one of the most significant events in her life. For the production of "Triumph Of The Will" she not only had all the costumes, props, technical apparatus and services paid for at no cost but also, Hitler gave her unlimited resources and unrestricted access to all areas of the Nazi party. Riefenstahl used many cameras from the smallest to the largest to produce "Triumph Of The Will at its best. The little cameras were placed in balloons and floated down to get a birds eye view of the procession and action for when Hitler arrives. The Nuremburg Rally took several days which resulted in filming over several days and nights, though "Riefenstahl and her crew captured 100 000 metres of film."(Republic to Reich, p?) "Triumph Of The Will" portrayed Hitler as a loving and god-like figure all throughout the film as well as conveying volksgemeinschaft to the people. Due to the use of the innovative use of camera shots, and angles and her power to try new things within film "Triumph Of The Will" is no doubt one of the most significant events in her professional
life. Riefenstahl's film "Olympia" again is seen as Nazi propaganda. For "Olympia" Riefenstahl is solely funded by the Nazi's and ends with a budget of five million dollars. Hitler wanted this film made in particular to lift his status and Goebbels wanted to promote a "New Germany" internationally. Her expenditure and horrible book keeping horrifies Goebbels but Riefenstahl manages to receive another two million dollars which comes out of German tax payers money, Riefenstahl is allowed this extra money as it allows her innovations and new technologies to take place. Many of Riefenstahl's innovations in this film have never been used or seen before including the telephoto lens and the trenches that she got dug to place cameras below the athletes to get many different shots and produce a much better propaganda film for the Nazi's. Some of her innovations are banned for interfering with the athletes e.g the catapult she uses for the sprints-this was interfering with the runners and some were falling down during their sprints. Riefenstahl is said to have said that "I had to get permission and if I had been a man I wouldn’t have gotten it"(Bach, 2007) Here Riefenstahl is referring to the extra money she received as well as being allowed to be inside the actual stadium where the athletes were performing to film. The innovations that she was allowed to use in "Olympia" made her such an artist which again makes this film one of the most significant events in her professional life. Taylor Aleckson