LL201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: The Blue Light (1932 Film), Leni Riefenstahl, Revised Version
Leni Riefenstahl
Leni’s Narrative
-Conflicting narratives: hers on one side, the scholars’ and archivists’ one on the other.
-After WWII she gave her (re)presentation of the facts many times, not always consistently
and with revisions.
-Her account of her participation in (the aesthetic representation of) the Nazi regime as neutral
and apolitical was always strongly argued and well articulated
-but shifted defensively on several occasions.
-!Even at the centre of the storm, nobody could deny her talent as film director. "
A Self Conscious past
-Ironically, after 1945 Riefenstahl created a new ‘cinematic’, revised version of her own story.
-Since her version was constantly disputed, she was confronted with the documented truth,
-which she vehemently opposed.
-Made attempts to control researchers’ work claiming that she wanted “the whole truth” to
come out.
-Throughout her long life she did everything she could to show the validity of her version
-to the point that she herself started to believe in it.
-She was successful in part in having critics treat myths and legends she constructed as facts. "
The Longest Lasting Directing career
-August 2002: just before her 100th birthday she announced a new film she directed was
coming out.
-Even after so many years, the ongoing controversy surrounding her cannot deny her
importance as director of XX c. art cinema.
-Her career’s path can be considered an example of what many Germans experienced in the
XX c.:
-great contradictions, illusions and disillusions, ups and downs, great sacrifice in search of a
success that in the end brought dishonourable defeat. "
Leni & Hitler
-Initially, she admitted quite openly her initial enthusiasm for Hitler.
-They were both strong-willed individuals with enormous charisma.
-1932: Das blaue Licht.
-As the first film she co-directed she had a strong connection with it.
-Witness accounts told that she did not take negative reviews well, especially those of Jewish
film critics
-and added that Hitler would have not allowed the misjudgment of a German film.
-It was at that moment in her life that she started to praise Hitler and his ideology. That is when
she met him.
-After WWII she would deny anti-Semitism was her motivation. According to her it was just a
“fateful encounter”. "
Hitlers Rise to Power
-Again, Hitler presented himself as the right man to solve a very difficult situation Germany
was facing during the Weimar Republic:
-High unemployment rate, social system in turmoil, political instability caused by a
succession of weak governments.
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Document Summary
Con icting narratives: hers on one side, the scholars" and archivists" one on the other. After wwii she gave her (re)presentation of the facts many times, not always consistently and with revisions. Her account of her participation in (the aesthetic representation of) the nazi regime as neutral and apolitical was always strongly argued and well articulated. Even at the centre of the storm, nobody could deny her talent as lm director. Ironically, after 1945 riefenstahl created a new cinematic", revised version of her own story. Since her version was constantly disputed, she was confronted with the documented truth, Made attempts to control researchers" work claiming that she wanted the whole truth to come out. Throughout her long life she did everything she could to show the validity of her version. To the point that she herself started to believe in it. She was successful in part in having critics treat myths and legends she constructed as facts.
