Leni Riefenstahl dies at 101; Known for Nazi Era Propoganda Films

AP

[sonsofliberty2000]

BERLIN (AP) Leni Riefenstahl, best known for her Nazi-era propaganda films, has died at age 101, a German magazine reports, quoting a long-time friend.

[sharktrager]

Billy Wilder didn't die until 2002.

[steve-b]

"Olympia" followed.... A tribute to the idealized human body

The hilarious thing is that Olympia exudes homoerotica the way Bill Clinton exudes dishonesty.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Libertarian National Socialist Green Party

I guess after they cleanse the Earth of undesirable races, they go to save the environment.....

[OESY]

You have some excellent posts (#8, 26, 27). What is fascinating to me is that the so-called propaganda piece, the film Olympia about the 1936 games, is far more even-handed (read, less nationalistic) than the coverage of today's Olympics by our own networks. Leni has taken some rather negative hits which she does not deserve. Those throwing stones should view her films first.

[montag813]

The full version of Triumph of the Will in German is still, with her Olympia among the very greatest of films.

She was one of the greatest directors who ever lived. "Olympia" was a masterpiece, way above anything which was being produced in Hollywood, and revolutionized the filming of sports. I agree with others that it is unfair that she is reviled and Sergei Eisenstein is revered and studied in film classes to this day.

[montag813]

The full version of Triumph of the Will in German is still, with her Olympia among the very greatest of films.

She was one of the greatest directors who ever lived. "Olympia" was a masterpiece, way above anything which was being produced in Hollywood, and revolutionized the filming of sports. I agree with others that it is unfair that she is reviled and Sergei Eisenstein is revered and studied in film classes to this day.

[Clemenza]

My Israeli Jewish professor in my undergrad years showed us TOTW and stated that whatever her political, er, shortcomings, it could not be denied that she was an outstanding filmmaker.

Don't get me started on the a--holes who prevent any public showing of Birth of a Nation, although I did see it late at night on a PBS station in Miami a few years back.

[Clemenza]

The hilarious thing is that Olympia exudes homoerotica the way Bill Clinton exudes dishonesty

There always was something "queer" about Nazi imagery...

[CatoRenasci]

I'm sure your right, that she's not emphasized in academic film studies. However, when I was a graduate student in European intellectual history in the '70s, her influence was seriously discussed (along with Renoir, Eisenstein and others). The greatest praise I heard for her work came from some of the emigres who settled in Southern California, who disliked the Nazis seriouly enough to leave Germany in the later '30s (whether they were Jewish or not) but admired Leni Reifenstahl's talent.

[gridlock]

About 58 years too late, IMHO.

[DAPFE8900]

Her filming style was very ahead of the time..>And she used color film at a time when it was not being used...So if she was or was not a nazi is a after thought to her achievments!

[DAPFE8900]

OK DOUG That sounded very bad....I dont condone or support any thing to do with hitler!

[dfwgator]

There always was something "queer" about Nazi imagery...

Not just queer, but it bordered on pedophelia. Of course what do you expect when you had perverts like Ernst Rohm.

[justshutupandtakeit]

She was a great filmmaker. Triumph of the Will was a masterpiece as was the film about the Olympics.

What the hell do liberals have to do with her? They are the ones who made sure she never made other films.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Not only that but anyone who saw Triumph of the Will should have immediately known a huge war was coming. But the idiots just stuck their heads back into the sand and pretended nothing had changed.

[dfwgator]

Not only that but anyone who saw Triumph of the Will should have immediately known a huge war was coming.

Hell, anyone who read "Mein Kampf" should have known the war was coming once Hitler came to power.

[sheik yerbouty]

There is a National Socialist Green Party. Maybe she was working for them

[Monster Zero]

Check out the Fox headline:

"'Hitler's Filmmaker' Dies at 101 Leni Riefenstahl's 'Triumph of the Will' called best propaganda film ever"

[OESY]

Hell, anyone who read the "Versailles Treaty" should have known war was coming.

[Monster Zero]

"Best propaganda film" in the service of WHAT, is my question...