The 1936 Olympics were held in Nazi Germany. German director Leni Riefenstahl, best known for 1934's spectacular Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will", was enlisted to film a documentary on the games. This documentary was funded by the state, through shadow organizations.
Over 50,000 feet of film were shot daily throughout the Olympic games. It took eighteen months to edit the footage down to two films of about ninety minutes each. The first film, "Festival of the Nations", concentrated on the opening ceremonies and the track and field events. One can argue that the first film had propaganda elements. There were several shots of Adolf Hitler, and those delegations from pro-fascist countries gave stiff armed salutes during the opening ceremonies. But these events, unlike "Triumph of the Will", don't seem staged for the camera. I don't really consider "Festival of the Nations" to be a propaganda film.
The second half of "Olympia" is titled 'Festival of Beauty'. Unlike the first half, the emphasis is less on competition and more on the variety of athleticism. We see gymnastics, diving, swimming, shooting, decathlon, field hockey and equestrian events. The most serious segment of the film is the decathlon, in which three Americans take all the medals. The most lighthearted is the equestrian events. The horses have to maneuver various obstacles, often unceremoniously dumping the rider. India had an outstanding field hockey team in 1936, scoring 38 goals to only one for their opponents.
With the gymnastics and diving events, no attention is paid to who wins or loses. Cinematography is what matters. Often without narration, Riefenstahl looks for the beauty in an athlete's form and skill. The platform diving features the most varied and interesting photography. The divers are shown from above, from below, and from the water. Sometimes they dive from the pool onto the platform, which I had previously thought was physically impossible (sarcasm alert!).
Germany dominated the 1936 Olympics, winning 89 medals. This was more than the second place U.S. (56) and third place Italy (22) combined.
The film opens with a lengthy silent montage of athletes training. As in Part One, which opens with Rome coliseum ruins transitioning to stylized athletes, the opening silent cinematography is excellent. Riefenstahl would have made a great director during the silent era.
But there are comical moments in the training sequence, which sets the spirit for Part Two. It is much lighter than Part One. There's no shots of Hitler, and only the military uniforms of German officers and the occasional stiff armed salute remind the viewer that this is 1936 Berlin. (80/100)
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