Leni Riefenstahl - the gifted creator of documentary films

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

Even Goebbels who was in large part the propagandist of Adolf Hitler's political organisation found it impossible to control her. Though he possessed immense political power as one of the top most member of Nazi Party, his attempts to control her were flatly ignored by her. Goebbels' dictatorial behaviour often fell flat on its back against her sardonic reactions to it.

Even Adolf Hitler clearly understood her nature and bore up with the bitter criticism of his principles offered by this intractable woman film maker.

But she largely maintained a consistently neutral stance to Hitler's despotic rule in one of the darkest periods of history.

She produced many cinematic masterpieces associated with Hitler's political movement - documentary films impregnated with an appealing aesthetic in complete contrast to the monotonous movement of events and scenes in typical documentary films.

She was Leni Riefenstahl, the mother of documentary films. The critics of her films respond very forcefully to the pleasing variety and the aesthetic of her documentary films which would otherwise have been blighted with dull monotony.

Leni Riefenstahl was thus the most outstanding and superbly gifted maker of documentary films of her time.

She succeeded in capturing images quite creatively and exploited the best techniques in her works which are ranked perhaps the best in world's documentary films, Leni shot to widespread fame during 1930s as a film director and her works rank high with the greats by Alfred Hitchcock or Ossen Wales. Sometimes her techniques surpassed those employed by Hitchock because she managed to replace the humdrum flatness of a documentary film with variety and aesthetic. Leni Riefenstahl who began her career as a dancer and an actress, later concentrated on a career as a film maker.

'Triumph des Willens'

Leni's documentary masterpieces include "Triumph of the will", "Impressions Under water", "Blue Light" and "Olympia" etc. These films made a mark by setting an important precedent for succeeding documentary film makers and teaching them how to sustain variety and interest in a work of art such as a documentary film.

Two of her eight documentary films won favourable appraisal and top awards both in Germany and other countries.

The two most talked about films are 'Triumph of the will' (1934) and 'Olympia (1938)'. It is important to note that the release of 'Triumph of the will', her magnum opus instantly earned her international publicity, fame and an equal measure of disrepute.

This documentary film released in 1934 is considered to be a classic work in cinema. Even though it came under vehement hostile criticism. Most critics and viewers of the film delivered a tough rebuke to Leni Riefenstahl for having ascribed a military heroism to Adolf Hitler throughout the film.

The viewers got the impression that Leni personally celebrated Hitler's military moves and his autocratic rule. Yet the critics conclude that the aesthetic quality which is the dominant feature in the film, has effectively over shadowed the political message running through the film.

The documentary centered round an assembly of Nazi Party in Newrumberg and included a number of scenes which showed the Nazi activities.

The film, moreover, included scenes of around 70,000 Nazi supporters and different important highlights of Nazi Assembly.

Here Leni managed to fill the whole film with a type of rhythm and a fine sense of aesthetic which in turn added a new dimension to an otherwise monotonous documentary film.

The surprising aspect of the film was that it did not at all truly represent the horror and suffering - the spirit of Hitler's rule. Instead, the whole film was peopled with outlandishly smiling faces and energetic people in perfect contrast to the real, terror - stricken people in Germany during Hitler's rule.

When the film was screened for the public, it proved to be the most superlative cinematic work in the mould of documentary film made on historical events. European countries such as Sweden, France, Germany together with America awarded 'Triumph of the will'.

'Olympia'

Leni's next breakthrough documentary film was 'Olympia' which was screened in 1938. 'Olympia' too centered on the basic events associated with Hitler's political propaganda.

Leni herself was the editor, producer and the director of this documentary film and she was the script writer for it.

The recurrent theme of the film was the Olympic games held in Berlin-Germany.

The film was made in three languages namely French, English and German and was among the ten choicest films in 1960. Olympia consisted of two segments and her rare cinematic techniques were the direct recipe for the film's exceptional finish.

As in 'Triumph of the will' the recurrent theme of this documentary film was Hitler's greatness and political heroism.

Though this documentary film has been made as a political allegory, it's value rests solely on aesthetic employment of scenes and camera technology.

Her films have deservedly won international awards such as 'National Film Prize' - Venice, 'Swedish Polar Prize', 'Green Sports Prize' and 'Olympic Diploma' etc.

She released her last film 'Impressions Under Water' in 2002 to celebrate her hundredth birthday. She died in 2003 at the age of 101.

Leni Riefenstahl added a novel dimension to the art of documentary films and her creations though superb in cinematic value, brought her disgrace.

She was once imprisoned for her expression of views but she is imprisoned in the hearts of cinema lovers because she created her films aesthetically.