DAS BLAUE LICHT NEWS WIRE

November / December 2004

The Goethe Institut of Los Angeles, along with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) presented a month long retrospective of the work of Leni Riefenstahl. Entitled Five Lives of Leni Riefenstahl, the program opened November 11 and continued through December 23. The program included a discussion by a panel of experts from both the United States and Germany.  Film historian Robert von Dassanowsky (University of Colorado), Jan-Christopher Horak (Curator, Hollywood Entertainment Museum), filmmaker Ray Mueller (The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl) and faculty member, Janet Bergstrom (UCLA). Films included the U.S. premiere of Mueller's 2001 documentary on Riefenstahl's return to the Sudan in an attempt to reunite with her Nuba tribe friends, Her Dream of Africa (Ihr Traum von Afrika). Mueller presented this film and his 1993 documentary classic on sequential evenings. The retrospective of Riefenstahl's acting and directorial legacy included Der Heilige Berg, S.O.S. Eisberg, Das Blaue Licht, Die weisse Hölle vom Piz Palü, Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht, Triumph des Willens, Tiefland, Olympia I & II  (Fest Der Volker /  Fest Der Schoneit). In conjunction with Fahey/Klein Gallery of Los Angeles, an exhibition of Riefenstahl's Olympia and Nuba photographs were on display at the Goethe as well. For more information on the retrospective, click here.
 

Prague is hosting an exhibition of Leni Riefenstahl work. The display is co-sponsored by Leica Gallery and is entitled The Myth of Leni Riefenstahl, Living a Lie. Apparently, curators Peter Reichelt and Ina Brockman (who had organized displays under Riefenstahl's direction in the past) jumped at the chance to "do away with the mythos of Leni Riefenstahl." The show runs through February 6, 2005.

[Editors Note: Although the exhibitors claim to balance their project to neither rehabilitate or perpetuate the "mythos" that they claim Riefenstahl built for herself, some rather well trodden areas of "controversy" are purportedly foisted as being "solved once and for all." An example is the  "fact presented in the exhibition [that] well-known photos taken during the 1936 Olympic games...were not taken by her after all, but rather by her fellow photographers Arthur Grimm, Rolf Lantin, Willy Zielke and ... Walter Frentz." This so-called discovery ignores the fact that Leni Riefenstahl, wrote openly in her 1937 photography book on the Olympia film "the greater part of the illustrations are enlargements from the Olympia film...by Willy Zeike...still photographs by Arthur Grimm...Rolf Lantin...Guzzi Lantschenner...". The Prauge group ignore that use of images to display a film director's work as the auteur is highly regular.  Likewise, the exhibitors claim that "the myth that she was just a documenter filming current happenings" during the production of Triumph des Willens "is finally taken care of" in that an exchange of letters between Riefenstahl and rally designer Albert Speer indicating that some sequences were "re-filmed in the studio." The Prague crew  find this insertion technique "evidence" that Riefenstahl was a deliberate propagandist, not a documentarian filmmaker, though such "coverage" shots part of many accepted documentary classics like Flaherty's Nanook of the North and those endless documentaries found on current cable television "history" channels. ]

Release dates are announced for Der Weisse Rausch, Tiefland and Das blaue Licht on region 2 DVD (Europe). All are available between December 2004 and March 2005. Leni Riefenstahl directed and stars in the latter two films. Titles are available at Amazon.de

Playwright Jen Ryan concluded her off Broadway production of The Imaginary, All True Leni Riefenstahl Show. Excellent notices followed the show which is a combination of imagined events mixed with historical and biographical references. The New York Magazine describes the play as an "extremely ambitious, multimedia bio-drama that rarely misses a beat" while Talkin' Broadway states that Ryan's work is "a highly ambitious achievement that's been impressively realized...Ryan certainly makes a creative and compelling case."

August  2004

The Washington Times referred to political filmmaker Michael Moore as "Leni Riefenstahl with a scruffy beard" in anticipation of the anti-Bush "documentary" Fahrenheit 911.Although dozens of such comparisons were made in the wake of the film's release, even some conservative hardliners noted that "whatever her political indiscretions, Leni Riefenstahl was a transcendent, visionary German filmmaker whose early 20th century work will stand the test of time for high technical and cinematic achievement." Or as one blogger put it, " I've seen Leni Riefenstahl's work and Michael Moore is no Leni Riefenstahl!" [ Sources: News Max.com / Free Public.com]

March 2004

Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ, has drawn critical raves and rants. The Nation states that it's medieval passion play morality makes it a " movie that could safely be shown at the Leni Riefenstahl Memorial Film Festival " As one critic, concerned for the possible anti-semitic characterization of the story of Christ stated Gibson's "Leni Riefenstahl defense -- I had other intentions -- does not wash. Of course he had other intentions: evangelical, devotional, commercial." The New York Post says it "would stop short of calling [this] work anti-Semitic - an issue, it should be remembered, raised by the filmmaker himself ...[though] Gibson [has a] gross insensitivity..." And although they claim it "aspires to greatness and occasionally achieves it...Gibson's willful blindness to the larger implications of his work is somewhat reminiscent of Leni Riefenstahl - the brilliant German director who never saw anything wrong that her masterpiece, Triumph of the Will, was a celebration of Adolf Hitler." 

[Editor's Note: It seems that with The Passion of the Christ, as later in 2004 with Michael Moore's documentary efforts, many critics dribble on about influences on them from the work of Leni Riefenstahl, though the comparisons make no cinematic or political sense. In addition, media political pundits like Chris Matthews, who said about one John Kerry presidential campaign ad, "who made that ...Leni Riefenstahl?" or Bill O'Reilly have "in order to score conservative political points" invoked the name of someone they deem notorious in connection with their opponents..]

On February 29, Hollywood honored Leni Riefenstahl at the 76th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. As it does annually, the Oscars paid tribute to all the industry greats who had died in the previous year. Along with notables such as Elia Kazan, Bob Hope and Gregory Peck a still image appeared in front of the Oscar audience of Riefenstahl in her film Das blaue Licht. Below the photo was her name and the subtitle "German Filmmaker" which gave Leni Riefenstahl a form of rehabilitation she would never have dreamed possible during her lifetime. An immediate reaction from the audience included some applause along with scattered boo's. Regarding the matter after the program was over, Academy Vice President, Sid Gannis responded to critics "she had a greatness to her and she had amazing longevity. There was no special debate whatsoever in the decision to include her on the list, and I personally agree with it." Likewise, super Producer Jerry Bruckheimer stated "I don't have a problem with it. She was a genius, and her movies were innovative and still copied today." Oscar winner Elton John stated "I think it was proper to have her name there. She was a great filmmaker, and as an artist myself, I think she deserved to be there."

A 91 minute German language DVD release of Sturme Uber dem Montblanc (1930) directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl is slated for European release this month. A second supplementary disc notes the history of the infamous mountain face. The title, Region 2 only (not USA) is available on Amazon.de

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