Riefenstahl Ideology

In Jean-Louis Comolli and Jean Narboni’s essay “Cinema/Ideology/Criticism,” they put forward the central argument that film is a commercial product in the capitalist system and therefore also the unconscious instrument of the dominant ideology which produces it. In opposition to the classic film theory that applauds camera as an impartial device to reproduce reality, they argue that what the camera reproduces is merely a refraction of the prevailing ideology. Therefore, the primary and political task for filmmakers is to disrupt this replication of the world as self-evident and the function of film criticism is to identify and evaluate that politics. Comolli and Narboni then suggest seven categories of films confronting ideology in different ways, among which the second category resists the prevailing ideology on two levels. Films of this group not only overtly deal with political contents in order to “attack their ideological assimilation” (Comolli and Narboni 483), but also achieve their goal through breaking down the conventional way of depicting reality.

Although presumptions began to arise, Riefenstahl stated that Triumph of the Will was clearly a factual documentary and stated: “Not a single scene is staged…It is history, pure history” and that she simply filmed what she saw. Susan Sontag’s response in her dissertation Fascinating Fascism concluded that the film is fascist propaganda promoting Nazi ideology but itself is not a about fascism . Sontag was right to the title the film was fascist due to Riefenstahl’s extreme forthright about her infatuation with Hitler. In an interview with Detroit news Riefenstahl stated: “To me Hitler is the greatest man who ever lived. He is really faultless, so simple yet so filled with ,manly power... He is really beautiful,

Leni Riefenstahl was one of the most revolutionary and certainly most controversial filmmakers of the early twentieth century. The lasting influence of her innovative filmmaking techniques on twentieth century cinema is undisputed by scholars throughout history, but the exact nature of her work is surrounded by ongoing controversy. Riefenstahl’s production of the feature films “Triumph of the Will” (Source 3) and “Olympia” (Source 1) have left a lasting imprint on history; these films established Riefenstahl’s influential career as a film director under the years of the Nazi regime. Although these films are attributed by scholars and critics to be Riefenstahl’s greatest achievements they are also considered to be her greatest fault, for

Just like France, the United States, and Russia, Germany also began to make films, as a way to entertain the working class in an inexpensive way. By 1933 Adolf Hitler came to power, creating very harsh social condition that made several writers, actors, and directors flee Germany because they feared that if they stayed they would have gotten killed. Joseph Goebbels later came to run the UFA, as a government owned production company to make films that were shown to civilians and the military as propaganda on March 13 , 1933, and intended to censor German cinema to make the people believe that they were fascist. Numerous movies in that period of time tried to steer clear of talking about the Holocaust to distract people from what was really happening and to make Hitler seem almost godlike. One film in particular directed by Leni Riefenstahl called The Triumph of the Will became a well known example of propaganda in film history. Throughout the film, you really get to experience a sense of historical context that influenced thousands of people during the time of World War 2. Today, several people view The Triumph of the Will and have a difficult time distinguishing whether or not they can conclude if they view the film as propaganda or an actual piece of art.

The major influences that led to Leni Riefenstahl’s rise to prominence includes a fateful event that kindles her fascination with film, the continual influence of mountain (Berg) films and acclaimed director Dr Arnold Fanck as well as her first début as a director and producer.

Society tends to associate propaganda films with issues such as Nazi Germany and their film messages for their country; however, it is also possible for small independent companies, groups of like-minded people and individuals to use the media of film to incorporate messages for our society (The Independent, 2010). These messages are often in relation to changes that individuals should make in order to improve the standards by which they live their lives and changes to everyday habits that will benefit the individual, the individual’s family, a group of individuals or even a single person (Barnhisel and Turner, 2010).

Adolf Hitler, political leader of the National Socialist or Nazi party, promoted the usage propaganda. In his book, Mein Kampf, he stated, “Propaganda makes [the public] ripe for the victory of [anyone’s] ideas.” To establish German support, the Nazi party used propagandistic posters and film. One of the Nazi’s most effective examples of propaganda was the German director, Leni Riefentstal’s film that documented the pro-Nazi Nuremberg rally of 1934.

2. What impression do you get of Germany from the aerial shots of the city of Nuremberg? What general image does the director Leni Riefenstahl give of Germany as a country?

Leni Riefenstahl was a highly successful individual, greatly attributed to her ambitious attitude and rise to prominence. She is considered one of the most influential and controversial female film directors of all time. Riefenstahl was a dancer, actor, film director, author and photographer. Her success can be ascribed to her preparation to use other individuals for her own benefit, this can be evident through her relationship with Harry Sokal, a jewish banker (maybe use maybe not). -Deliberate manipulation Riefenstahl was Born on the 22nd of August 1902, within Berlin,Germany, by the name of Berta Helene Amalie Riefenstahl.

A Nazi sympathiser is referred to be someone who is a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party and agrees with opinion, and ideology. Since the end of World War II many have debated whether Leni Riefenstahl was truly a Nazi sympathiser, a propagandist, or purely an artist. Through the analyses of the evidence gathered in this case it is clear that Riefenstahl was not a Nazi sympathizer; she purely did what she had to do to survive, just as every other citizen whom lived through Nazi regime period did. Paragraph 1 Leni Riefenstahl was very passionate about all hobbies and career paths she under took.

The triumph of the will is considered one of the major visual icons of Nazism . As the Historian William Shirer said "many of the most enduring images of the Nazi regime and its leader derive from Riefenstahl's film “ . This movie is truly an artistic endeavor that shows how art can often be beyond the surface purpose of a project, that explicates in the cinematic techniques that work in concert with one another to create a cohesive portrait of this political and military leader, Adolph Hitler. Riefenstahl’s movie is a great example of how can the rhetorical appeals Ethos , Pathos , Logos be melted together to produce one of the best convincing weapons . This can be obviously implied in the choice of music , gestures

These pieces are shaped as objective renderings of reality, however often may reflect the biased viewpoint of the manufacturer. This occurrence may be demonstrated in Leni Riefenstahl's 1934 Triumph of the Will. A recording of the 1934 session of the Nazi Party Congress, Triumph of the Will has gone down in history as a leading example of the Nazi regimes propaganda. Riefenstahl had previously made her name known through the 1932 film The Blue Light. As the Films director she gained notoriety within the Nazi party and later began a correspondence with the Adolf Hitler himself. Riefenstahl after attending a Nazi rally was impressed with Hitler's charismatic presentation. Hitler himself was evenly interested in her own productions and in 1933 asked her to direct a piece following the Nazi Nuremberg Rally. The Nazi party had only recently gained the authority of the German political scene in the midst of national instability, and to many German's Hitler was an unknown

if I can be free after completing this project and do not have to make

As we look deeper into the historical contexts that came about in Germany during the 1920’s, Germany was confined due to the isolation the country was experiencing during World War I. During this solitude, the German government banned foreign films. German Expressionism was formed in result of the conclusion of World War I which compelled Germany to establish its own style of cinema. German Expressionist films produced in the Weimar Republic

The leaders of the Nazi party made it one of the most infamous groups to lead a nation in history. The horrible things done under their rule and with their stamp of approval has made the term Nazi one of the worst possible. The amazing thing about the Nazi party is that many of the main aspects of their ideology existed in Germany even before they formed or came to power. Some of the major aspects of Nazi ideology such as antisemitism, the desire to expand the German empire, and the belief in the strength of the Aryan race existed in Germany years before Adolf Hitler was a name anyone in Germany would recognize.