D A S B L A U E L I C H T

RIEFENSTAHL'S INFLUENCE ON FILM

Susan Sontag's article Fascinating Fascism (1974) refutes the idea that Riefenstahl was a great filmmaker.

Sontag swears that "no one alludes to Riefenstahl" in film.

Here for you are a few distinct examples of the film art as influenced by the work of Leni Riefenstahl.

Production artwork for the "great hall" ceremony. Star Wars (1977, directed by George Lucas)

Shot for shot the ceremonial "great hall" medal scene that concluded the initial Star Wars film is the most widely seen and noted influence/tribute to Leni Riefenstahl. The film depicts black booted Rebel Forces, arranged in formal lines, turning on heel to face the three heroes as they walk up the great hall on the destruction of the Death Star. The composition and mood of the sequence is lifted directly from Riefenstahl's Triumph des Willens. Note the use of "pillars of light" as Riefenstahl utilized at the end of Olympia and was a highly favored device of her and Albert Speer.

Raiders of the Lost Ark. (1980, Directed by Steven Spielberg)

Steven Spielberg later came to regret his usage of Nazi iconography for purely entertainment value. However, both "Raiders" and the third installment in the Indiana Jones series, "The Last Crusade" utilize arrangements and angles that indicate a critical response and influence from Riefenstahl's Triumph des Willens.

Pink Floyd's The Wall (1982, Directed by Alan Parker)

Based on Roger Water's work with Pink Floyd, filmmaker, animator and songwriter convene to convey one man's disintegration into intolerance. Again the tone and tenor of the piece is reflective of Triumph des Willens.

Olympia influenced sports coverage for the rest of the 20th century. With the innovative camera angles, slow motion, close ups on the athletes, aerial photography and tracking shots and camera pits, Olympia defined a language and the very techniques on which televised sports coverage daily pays homage to.

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