[LEN-E] Learning To Love Leni Riefenstahl

[Ron Koster]

At 05:22 PM 1/23/2008 +0100, Thomas Köhler wrote:

>And please excuse that this is a VERY long post :-)


No problem! Wow, Thomas, your critique of Zizek 
is even better than his critique of Leni! ;)

In that regard, although I did read your response 
with great interest, I can't really comment 
myself on everything you wrote because I know 
nothing (or very little) about all those authors, 
etc. that were mentioned -- in reading Zizek's 
article (and, by extension, your response) I 
confess that I'm largely an "ignorant observer". 

:/  So much is just simply beyond my education, 

basically, but I'll comment on a couple of things that I can...


>However much the search for this 'eternal force' 

>is expressed in her art, I find it generally 

>problematic to apply this to her real-life 

>personality so quickly. She was a clever and 

>very determined woman in her personal relations 

>it seems, and certainly not a mystic.


Oh, I'm not so sure about that! In fact, I would 
say that I'm quite sure of the opposite, that 
Leni *was* a mystic -- even if she wouldn't have 
defined herself as such, even if she didn't even 
percieve that aspect (and motivation) within herself.

Perhaps it's my own interest and inclination in 
mysticism, but I simply can't help but see what 
is, to me, the *extremely* obvious mystical 
aspects of all of her major films -- not the ones 
by Fanck, I mean (except perhaps Der heilige 
Berg, which has clearly mystical aspects to it), but her own films.

In Das blaue Licht, the entire story revolves 
around the obsession/compulsion to go to 
"heights", to go to "the light", to seek out this 
"intangible" thing-of-wonder (the crystals) even 
at the risk of one's own life. It's a 
ridiculously dangerous pursuit for Junta to 
repeatedly undertake, and the entire premise 
makes absolutely no sense *except* from the 
perspective and understanding of mysticism.

With Triumph (and to a lesser, not so "polished", 
extent Sieg -- but hardly at all, really, with 
Tag) the representations of Hitler and the entire 
Nazi movement is artistically represented in 
mystical ways, what with Hitler being 
photographed in "godly" perspectives, the various 
rituals involving torches ("purifying fire"), etc.

In Olympia, we have the the Olympic athletes of 
"today" (1936) analogized with the mythical gods 
of ancient Greece, and with all the varying 
camera angles (innovative for the time) we, as 
the audience, are also given a virtual 
omnipresense (in that we can "see everything, 
from everywhere") -- indeed, we become the 
"gods", observing this Olympian competition 
between mortals (or, even, other gods). And then 
there's the connection "beyond time and space" 
between the Germany of today ('36) and classical times.

As for Tiefland, well, I personally don't see 
anything that could really be termed "mystical" 
in that film, but with Impressionens I certainly 
do see a return to that (unspoken) theme, if only 
in her rejoicing in the beauty of "Creation", not 
to mention her ascending into the "Great White Light" at the end of the film.

And once again I'll say that I could easily 
understand that Leni might not see this mystical 
aspect in her films herself -- but that is 
exactly a perfectly normal "symptom", for a 
mystic (willing or otherwise) to feel "compelled" 
to seek out (and, as an artist, manifest) the 
"mysterious", the "ethereal" and "ineffable". The 
quest for meaning in this life is a driving force 
within us all (*regardless* of whether we do 
consciously or subconsciously), and thus we are 
all mystics, in a sense -- and I dare say that 
that is *exactly* what attracts us (or repels and 
frightens us!) with regard to Leni Riefenstahl's films.


>Ahm.... I may have simply forgotten about this, 

>but was Balazs actually her LOVER?


That took me by surprise, too. I don't recall 
hearing anything like that before either, except 
for perhaps from Steven Bach -- but then, I think 
Bach takes some perverted enjoyment out of 
portraying (to the point of ridiculous 
exaggeration) Leni as having lusted after 
virtually every man in Germany at the time. ;)

Re the parades...


>First of all, Mussolini's Italy was roughly at 

>the same time as Lenin's Russia, and one wonders 

>which movement actually originated them, if any 

>of them.. But likely they go far more back into 

>history. Organized masses etc. could be found in 

>Frederick's Prussia in probably much a similar 

>way, and if you want to, you might go back to ancient Sparta.


Indeed, one might surmise that they go back to 
the stone age -- and beyond! -- just as with any 
group of children walking along together "en 
masse", or even just a young couple (a "parade of 
two") walking hand-in-hand. The formal parades we 
see in Triumph (and elsewhere, to this day) are 
simply that: a "formalized" display of unity 
amongst comrades (whether comrades-in-arms, or otherwise).


>So, all in all, I think the case with Leni is 

>much more complex and sadly also more 

>problematic, and it doesn't much help if the 

>author brings up those many examples of other 

>modernists that superficially are similar. They 

>are not. There's no need and little possibility 

>in my view to try to 'whitewash' Leni as a 

>person. There's only a need to regard her work on its own terms, as art.


My sentiments exactly. Although I must say that 
it certainly *is* all the problems and 
complexities that make her such a fascinating 
figure of study! I mean, gee, if -- 
hypothetically -- we knew that she had been "just 
an evil Nazi", well, how boring that would be for 
us, without that mystery/mysteriousness!

(Or should I say mysticism???)

Ron ;)

Woof?... http://www.Psymon.com
Ach, du Leni!... http://www.Riefenstahl.org
Hmm... http://www.Imaginary-Friend.ca