The opening of this film surprised me. It takes about twenty minutes to get from the credits to the scene of the Olympic Games. There are scenes of Greek ruins dissolving into scenes of more Greek ruins. These flow to a long shot of the Acropolis.
This is followed with Greek statues, that eventually make the transition into living men and women. Though they are naked, Riefenstahl presents them in the same aesthetic sense as the statues. First there are men doing some of the traditional track and field events: discus throwing, shot put, and so on. Then there are women dancing.
The dancing women transform into flames, which lights a torch. A runner carries the torch away from the Greek ruins and from there the film follows the relay of torches to the stadium in Berlin.
The opening sequence alone makes this film worth your time.
There are some opening ceremonies where the athletes march onto the field. Adolph Hitler opens the games. The torch is lit.
From that point on the film becomes a documentary of the major track and field events of the 1936 Olympic games.
However this is not a by-the-numbers presentation of the games. Leni Riefenstahl presents the events through the lens of her aesthetic vision. She even pushes the suspense of the outcome of the sporting event with reaction shots, and other cinematic devices.
There is propaganda in this film, but I believe Riefenstahl downplayed that aspect of the games.
Everything I've read on this film mentions Jesse Owens. Hitler and by extension the Third Reich looked upon black people as inferior. However from the way Jesse Owens and other black athletes are photographed and presented in this film it is very obvious that Leni Riefenstahl had a fond appreciation for them.
As a film fan I am very glad I was able to see this film. As well as being instructive it is also very enjoyable.
This is followed with Greek statues, that eventually make the transition into living men and women. Though they are naked, Riefenstahl presents them in the same aesthetic sense as the statues. First there are men doing some of the traditional track and field events: discus throwing, shot put, and so on. Then there are women dancing.
The dancing women transform into flames, which lights a torch. A runner carries the torch away from the Greek ruins and from there the film follows the relay of torches to the stadium in Berlin.
The opening sequence alone makes this film worth your time.
There are some opening ceremonies where the athletes march onto the field. Adolph Hitler opens the games. The torch is lit.
From that point on the film becomes a documentary of the major track and field events of the 1936 Olympic games.
However this is not a by-the-numbers presentation of the games. Leni Riefenstahl presents the events through the lens of her aesthetic vision. She even pushes the suspense of the outcome of the sporting event with reaction shots, and other cinematic devices.
There is propaganda in this film, but I believe Riefenstahl downplayed that aspect of the games.
Everything I've read on this film mentions Jesse Owens. Hitler and by extension the Third Reich looked upon black people as inferior. However from the way Jesse Owens and other black athletes are photographed and presented in this film it is very obvious that Leni Riefenstahl had a fond appreciation for them.
As a film fan I am very glad I was able to see this film. As well as being instructive it is also very enjoyable.