A Memoir

by Leni Riefenstahl

An autobiography of controversial German dancer, actress and eventually Hitler's top national film executive, Leni Riefenstahl.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Memoir, Film, Biography Memoir, Germany

681 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (German pronunciation: [ˈʁiːfənʃtaːl]; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party. Riefenstahl's prominence in the Third Reich along with her personal friendship with Adolf Hitler thwarted her film career following Germany's defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges.

Triumph of the Will gave Riefenstahl instant and lasting international fame, as well as infamy. Although she directed only eight films, just two of which received significant coverage outside of Germany, Riefenstahl was widely known all her life. The propaganda value of her films made during the 1930s repels most modern commentators but many film histories cite the aesthetics as outstanding.
The Economist wrote that Triumph of the Will "sealed her reputation as the greatest female filmmaker of the 20th century".

In the 1970s Riefenstahl published her still photography of the Nuba tribes in Sudan in several books such as The Last of the Nuba. She was active up until her death and also published marine life stills and released the marine-based film Impressionen unter Wasser in 2002.

After her death, the Associated Press described Riefenstahl as an "acclaimed pioneer of film and photographic techniques". Der Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin noted, "Leni Riefenstahl conquered new ground in the cinema". The BBC said her documentaries "were hailed as groundbreaking film-making, pioneering techniques involving cranes, tracking rails, and many cameras working at the same time".

Reviews

[Braden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The self-serving reminiscences of a Nazi propagandist and collaborator who refused to admit it. Riefenstahl is an incredibly rare blend of a person lacking self-awareness with quite a healthy sense of self-worth and fascist tendencies. Her memoirs are a fascinating example of equivocation and moral justification, but are often unbearable in its rampant self-aggrandization and total lack of remorse. Worth a read, though, if you're interested in Third Reich hangers-on, the German film industry, and the lengths to which a person will go to hold oneself inculpable for one's actions.

[Ο σιδεράς · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ας το ξεκαθαρίσω από την αρχή: άλλο η απόλαυση του να ζεις μια τρελή πτήση διάρκειας ως συνεπιβάτης της πιλότου Λένι, κι άλλο η λογοτεχνική αξία των απομνημονευματων της (3,5*). Θέλω όμως να παραμείνω στη:

 Σινεμασκοπ υπερπαραγωγη "Πόλεμος και ειρήνη - μέσα από το βλέμμα της"  σε χαρτί, με  σκηνικά - κουστούμια, χορογραφία, σενάριο και σκηνοθεσία της Φροϋλάιν Λένι Ρίφενσταλ..

Ο συνδυασμός μιας συναρπαστικής  ζωής και μιας κινηματογραφικής αφήγησης από τη Βερολινέζα Σεχραζάτ με κράτησε όμηρο για πεντακόσιες και μια σελίδες. 

Σε μία και μόνο από αυτές  τις 500+1σελίδες, η Λένι προλαβαίνει να περιγράψει το πως κατάφερε να:

·         Μάθει αναρρίχηση (ξυπόλυτη) στα βράχια των Άλπεων - και για συμπληρώσει το πρωινό της έμαθε και λίγο ραπέλ (χρήση ορειβατικού σκοινιού).

·         Να κάνει μπάνιο σε παγωμένη λίμνη, για τις ανάγκες της τέχνης, φυσικά.

·         Να γράψει ένα σενάριο και να χορέψει κάτι σε Ιζαντόρα Ντάνκαν σε μία πρεμιέρα...

·         Να ερωτευτεί τον καμεραμάν της και να αποφασίσει να συζήσει μαζί του.. μόνο το παρκέ δεν έκανε σ' εκείνη τη σελίδα, ήταν η σειρά του κάμεραμαν.. Μάλιστα.

Δεν αντιλέγω,  στην περίοδο του ναζισμου διάβαζε, και στη διάδοχη κατάσταση «δεν καταλάβαινε» προς τι οι τόσες επιθέσεις. Εντάξει,  ίσως να φλυάρησε και λίγο για τις δυσκολίες κατά τη διαδικασία παραγωγής των ταινιών της ή  για το πώς την πλήγωσε ο τάδε ευεργετηθείς προστατευόμενος της, αλλά.. τι βόλτα! Απ' τους παγετώνες της Γροιλανδίας, πάνω στο μονοκινητήριο που πιλοτάρει η Λένι (αυτό το έμαθε σε άλλη σελίδα), σε κρασοκατανυξεις σε παλάτσι της Βενετίας. Όπως και να 'χει, ένα πλάνο της να δει κανείς  θα καταλάβει ότι ήταν καλλιτεχνική ιδιοφυΐα, κι ένα κάδρο της φτάνει για να μαγευτεί: 

Old Hollywood — Divers competing at the 1936 Summer Olympics... https://oldhollywood.tumblr.com/post/...

Nuba Portfolio - Lot 20 https://www.lempertz.com/en/catalogue...

Το τελικό τμήμα της βιογραφίας της, όπου αφήνει την καρδιά της στην Αφρική και ταυτόχρονα συνειδητοποιεί πόσο από το ταλέντο της (και της ζωής της) σπαταλήθηκε σε σκάρτες μάχες, είναι συγκινητικό..και πάλι όμως, τι να σπαταληθεί από έναν ποταμό; 

Θα το ξαναδιάβαζα; Όχι, αλλά ήταν ωραία η βόλτα.. Το έκλεισα σκεπτόμενος.. πώς τα έκανε όλα αυτά;

Λοιπόν, με τη Λένι συμβαίνει το εξης: βρίσκει σ' ένα περιοδικό μια φωτογραφία κάποιων παλαιστών απ το Νότιο Σουδάν, για παράδειγμα.  Μετά, τη βάζει στο πορτοφόλι της, ψάχνει και  βρίσκει αεροπλάνο/ποταμόπλοιο/τζιπ/καμήλα, ζει μια εμπειριάρα (στα 72 της - κάπου στο Νότιο Σουδάν είπαμε) και μας την προσφέρει στα ογδόντα-κάτι της... Από μια φωτό σ ένα περιοδικό, την οποία ο κάθε σιδεράς θα θαυμάσει και θα πάει παρακάτω, στα ζώδια..

Loyd Price: Personality - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Rhg35...

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Además de la polémica que la acompañó, después, también hubo decisiones activas y coraza naif, antes.-

Género. Biografía.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Memorias (publicación original: Memoiren, 1987) es la autobiografía de la actriz y fotógrafa, pero mucho más famosa por su faceta de realizadora y, en concreto, por sus dos documentales en la época del Reich y su relación, de distintas y variada naturaleza, con muchos de los dirigentes nazis.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Jessica T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have defeated you Leni Riefenstahl. A part of me believes this woman is a liar and a sociopath...

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leni Riefenstahl died in 2003, when she was 101 years old, the last surviving member of Hitler's inner circle. How much of her life after 1945 was an attempt to cover up and mislead history is not clarified by this memoir. But what is there is a stunning record of how Riefenstahl came of age and entered the German film industry when it was at its height, making Mountain Films and developing a production technique that would come to full fruition in her documentaries, Triumph of the Will and Olympia. Her filmic transitioning remains an art form in and of itself; her work flows, moves, and isolates its subjects against natural and epic backgrounds. Individuals become expressions of natural will and order. So, in many ways, she does reflect the ideology of the political movement that made her rise possible in the first place.

The details of Riefenstahl's life mesmerize the reader. And it also demonstrates one of the quirks of National Socialist Germany. That is, not only the survival but the flourishing of certain types of women in Hitler's Third Reich. Riefenstahl, like the aviatrix Hanna Reitsch, was something of a bohemian working outside the traditional social roles assigned to women. She became a force, a power to be reckoned with in Germany during a time when sexism operated as a secondary sort of racism. Clearly, this was not the ideological goal of Nazism but it was an aspect of the Nazi elites that that they saw something of themselves, outsiders, perhaps, in figures like Riefenstahl, Reitsch, and Hitler's personal secretaries.

Riefenstahl's death and her memoirs effectively closed the book on the passing of a certain era in history. Hitler and his regime now belong to a past whose living memory no longer exists. You can still find some hints of it in Riefenstahl's writings, but you will need to read between the lines to determine the ultimate truth.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Riefenstahl is more or less the prisoner of history. Having been one of the world's greatest innovative cinematographers, and forced to create what was effectively "the most effective propaganda film of all time" the Triumph of the Will, Ms Reifenstahl keeps her own reputation intact by being the person who also documented the 1936 Olympics, her film of which, Olympia, was given awards in all the countries Hitler later conquered. She insists on her apolitical freedom, and takes refuge from the many cases of innuendo which built up around her after the war, in her artistry, as well as her own freedom of racial prejudices, but the consequences of having been a witness to the intrigues of and first person intimate of Adolf Hitler give this book a historical weight all of its own. You really want to read it through to the end.

[José · Rating 4 out of 5]

En unas memorias siempre se corre el riesgo de omitir datos. Vida llena de sobresaltos y vaivenes, pero provechosa.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm a Nazi schatze
Y'know I fight for fatherland."

(Today your love, tomorrow the world, Ramones)


Veo que se ha estrenado un documental sobre Leni (¡Oh, no! ¿Leni? ¿Nuestra Leni?) en el que parece concluirse que era más nazi y más pro Hitler que el propio Adolfo y de inmediato recuerdo sus flipantes memorias y aquel mítico artículo de Grace Morales en el Mondo Brutto sobre la superdotada artista que me hizo querer leer lo que tenía que decir la mujer sobre los tiempos que le tocó vivir, el país en el que le tocó nacer y la de injustas acusaciones (en sus propias palabras) que tuvo que desmontar durante toda su vida en no pocas sedes judiciales. Hablo muy de memoria pero juraría que Grace basaba su defensa en la triple culpa de Leni por ser una serie de cosas que jamás se perdonaban: mujer, superdotada en varias artes (al nivel de humillar con su portento al mejor competidor masculino que se le pusiese por delante) y ambigua en su saber maniobrar dentro de las intrigas palaciegas nazis no tanto para medrar en la línea jerárquica del partido sino que, más bien, para garantizar financiación para sus proyectos sudándole bastante el coño a ella todo lo que Himmler, Goebbels y otros urdían.

Diría que la biografía de esta Diosa suprema es mi favorita de las que he leído (junto con la de Richard Feynman) y esto es porque su mala suerte a la hora de coincidir en el tiempo con los nazis -y precisar de ellos para sacar adelante su obra fílmica-, sus dimes y diretes con la cúpula del partido y todo lo que le tocó tras los armisticios de paz (en esencia, toda una vida de pleitos y de intentar sacudirse un sambenito con forma de esvástica que jamás podría quitarse ya de encima) constituyen en su conjunto la vida más increíble del Siglo XX de la que yo tenga constancia.

De hecho, si bien se colige de todo el rosario de procesos exoneratorios de culpa y afiliación nazi que tuvo Leni que a nivel jurídico está libre de sospecha (y así lo recalcaba ella, enumerando la cantidad de decretos de exoneración de diferentes ordenamientos jurídicos que siempre llevaba consigo para plantarle en la cara a quien osase llamarla nazi pasado 1950), gran parte de su misterio reside en que es ella la que decide no ocultar en ningún momento que vivió inmersa en esa especie de "embrujo colectivo" que Adolfo hizo sobre los alemanes en la década de los 30, abundando encima en detalles como reconocer al afamado pintor austríaco como un hombre amable en el trato íntimo, otra de esas cosas que, si no se toleraban en el siglo XX, imagina ahora en un siglo XXI polarizado a extremos increíbles: que por mor de ser honesta con "su verdad" Leni decidiese no tildar de ogro a Adolfo y, a lo mejor, añadir que le hedían los sobacos a azufre o algo así que ayudase a crear ese mito del "malo 100% maligno" ganándose ella el aplauso del Eje Aliado y el perdón de la sociedad, permite abrir dos vías interpretativas del motivo real de semejante extraña narración. A saber:

1, que Leni era una persona íntegra como pocas (y a lo mejor un poco naive en cuanto a no saber anticipar las complicaciones que su honestidad le generaría) y prefiere ser fiel a su verdad, a los hechos desde su perspectiva, que alterar su realidad para facilitarse las cosas.

2, que Leni, más que fidedigna con lo vivido (y aprovechando que entre prisioneros de guerra vitalicios tras Nuremberg, científicos indultados de toda responsabilidad a cambio de futura servidumbre a EEUU vía Operación Paperclip y suicidios en la cúpula nazi no quedaba prácticamente naide que pudiese confrontar su testimonio o decir a las claras que tenía poderes de mando y pleno conocimiento de todo el genocidio pese a negarlo ella), lo que hace en sus memorias es amortiguar una afiliación nazi mucho más convencida y pro activa en el plano real.

El misterio de Leni en cuanto a su vinculación real con los nazis es una de las cuestiones más fascinantes del Siglo XX, y por eso me jode muchísimo que se concluya ahora que era la nazi primigenia, la que enseñó a pintar a Adolfo, la que le dijo a un judío ciego "ahora sí puedes cruzar, dale" mientras pasaba por la calle un Voltswagen.

Una biografía donde cuenta sus míticas cobras a Goebbels, todas las planificaciones de plano y de puesta en escena de El Triunfo De La Voluntad y Olimpia (antaño neciamente vetadas por ser propaganda nazi, que ojalá las propagandas del ahora tipo El País o El Plural tuviesen un 1% del carácter rompedor y eterno de lo que hizo Leni en sendas obras inmortales), toda su etapa en danza y pelis de montañismo de la UFA o ya de submarinismo a sus casi 90 años, sus numerosos achaques de salud y su empecinamiento en no quedarse en cama... un no parar esta tía, una vida que son un millón de cualquier otro patán a su lado y un relato que sólo queda empañado por no dar algún cotilleo de qué tramaba realmente Rudolf Hess cuando robó un Messerschmitt y se fue con él a Escocia a su puta bola (quizá el mayor misterio del Siglo XX junto con la conversación entre Einstein y Bohr).

Además que, por mucho que Verhoeven diga que el concepto de nazi bueno salía de otro lado, El Libro Negro segurísimo que parte de la vida de Leni.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back during high school a few of us drove to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois to see Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will, a film I have not seen since but remember with extraordinary clarity, so impressive was it, visually speaking. Other than clips from her later Olympia, I have not seen her other cinematic productions.

Consequently, I picked this up without knowing much about the author beyond the fact that she was the most famous film director associated with the Third Reich. I had absolutely no idea that she remained a public figure into the eighties or that she had had a later career as a photographer.

While, for me, the most interesting parts of her memoirs concern the Nazi years, particularly as regards her associations with leaders of the NDSAP, these do not constitute the bulk of her recollections. What she mostly writes about are, at first, romance (with men and with artistic subjects) and then, after the war, the difficulties she had with doing any creative work owing to the persistent belief held by many that she herself had been a Nazi (she hadn't). Much of this later work is associated with Africa, the Sudan in particular.

Frankly, except for the war years, I found this book emotionally difficult. "Listening" to Riefenstahl was, to my ear, like listening to my mother, another romantic, albeit less accomplished. Too much of it was too personal. I would have appreciated more context, more about others. Although a great artist, Riefenstahl was no intellectual, her lack of understanding of her objective circumstances, her historical and political ignorance, leading her into dark waters and much aggravation.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

this woman was amazing.

[Jelena Glazova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible life of incredible woman! A must

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, Leni, what are we going to do with you? An exhaustive and exhausting memoir from the innovative filmmaker of Triumph of the Will, Olympia, some prewar mountain films and postwar documentaries on African tribes and Maldive scuba diving. Riefenstahl's pre-war, wartime and postwar experiences are by far the most interesting and thrilling sections of the book, especially her encounters with Hitler and the Third Reich upper management team, but she gives these years far less attention than they deserve. The second half of the book is devoted to her numerous trips to Africa to photograph hill tribes in northern Sudan, and rebuffing an endless stream of attacks on her character for having produced a film for the Nazis and been affiliated with Nazi leadership. She goes to court dozens (hundreds? thousands??) of times for libel suits because she may or may not have cast interned Gypsies from a concentration camp to play Spaniards in a film she made during the war, and many of those Gypsies wound up at Auschwitz. She denied to the end that they were prisoners or were gassed at the camps but this controversy surfaced too many times for me to write it off as pure slander, as she would like you to believe. Unfortunately we'll probably never know what really happened there.
Which brings me to the fact that Leni is, unsurprisingly, an unreliable narrator. By her accounts, every man she meets falls in love with her and several suitors attempt suicide when she rejects their advances. I started laughing out loud every time some new guy comes in and 2 pages later, he declares his love and 2 pages after that he jumps out a window, and she’s all eye-rolling and moaning "Woe is me". The list of suitors includes Hitler, Goebbels (propaganda minister), Josef von Sternberg (famous director), Ernst Udet (famous stunt pilot), Walter Prager (famous skier), Peter Jacob (Wehrmacht thug, all around asshole, and husband!!!), Dr Fanck (filmmaker), and several others whose names need not be mentioned. Leni has an unfortunate knack for surrounding herself with bullies, thieves and madmen. She is cheated, assaulted, betrayed and robbed throughout her life. One would think she'd develop a better bullshit detector after surviving WWII but she remains a victim to predators her entire adult life.
Leni sees the world in black and white. People are either her enemies or best friends. Her films and photographs are all triumphant successes or aborted failures. Other artists either heap her with mountains of praise or denounce her for being a Nazi (up to you to decide on that one). The truth of the matter lies somewhere in the middle. I don't trust Leni's self-serving accounts are 100% accurate. She has a troubling tendency to refer to the Sudanese natives as "her" Nuba, blindly objectifying these people into a cute fetish commodity she can exploit for financial gain. She seems blind to her own faults but I believe that she believes she has good intentions.
Overall, a fascinating life but not a very captivating read. The second half became repetitive and sluggish and the last 100 pages were a pure slog. Read if you're interested in firsthand accounts of the Nazi era, but know that that's just a slim part of this tome.

[Susan Liston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa, finally finished. This is actually a good book to read over a long period because she neatly divides her story into titled anecdotes, some only a page or so long. (Also she goes into great amounts of detail that might have gotten a bit much if I had tried to read this straight through) Of course this is her side of everything, but she came off pretty straight forward to me, and certainly not the Nazi villainess I had always casually assumed her to be. Sometimes I would sort of forget who she was talking about, like this skirt chasing creep she had to work with, oh wait, it's Joseph Goebbels! THAT Joseph Goebbels. She's clear about what she liked and didn't like about Hitler...even chiding Albert Speer, whom she was fond of, for NOT being honest about that in his memoirs. So easy to distance oneself from someone or thing that turns out badly. Unique and quite interesting overall.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl was born in Berlin in 1902. This memoir recounts her life and activities. She was an avid swimmer, a talented artist, and an innovative filmmaker. She dabbled in acting, with five successful films to her credit. She is mostly remembered as the propaganda filmmaker for the Nazis. Her propaganda films were really very well done, despite being supplied for the side of history they were supplied for. This book shows the human being behind that legacy, which I think is important. We often see people as strictly good or strictly bad or strictly in service to crazy folks. Over here in the US, we are going through a lot of tough realizations that people are not always who we thought they were- celebrity or otherwise. I found her writing to be engaging, despite this being a pretty long book.

[audrey l · Rating 5 out of 5]

i hate nazis but good book.

[ganzgrossartig]

unilektüre

[Gremrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most interesting and thought-provoking books I have read this year and, I am afraid, a beginning of another “project,” as I already intend to read a couple of other books and watch a couple of movies about Leni Riefenstahl )).

This is a HUGE book (42+ hours in audio), and the reading often felt irritating and tedious (as Riefenstahl sometimes tries to look less intelligent than she actually is and loves to tell about all the minute details of her work, regardless of how interesting they actually are for an outsider), but I am very glad that I read it after all and can recommend it wholeheartedly for anyone with a mind critical enough for such literature. You will learn a lot, and this is an excellent subject for reflections and discussions.

First of all, it’s a great exercise in “listening to an unreliable narrator.” Even if you know pretty well who Leni Riefenstahl was and why you should not trust her, you are still gradually filled with admiration and compassion for this woman and want to believe her (but no, you shouldn’t )). She was an extraordinary person indeed: incredibly talented, hard-working all her long, long, very long life, very efficient, productive, creative, with an extraordinary esthetic taste, able to dedicate herself to the subjects that were interesting to her and not only achieve excellence there with apparent ease but always becoming a pioneer, creating something new and amazing, presenting unique and very recognizable art that still feels very fresh and striking. If not for her “unfortunate” affiliation with Hitler, she would have become a real feminist icon of the 20th century: a self-made woman who “boldly goes where no man has gone before”; who was absorbed by her work and subjects of her interest much more than her “personal life” and whatever else women should care about in the opinion of men; who “reinvented” herself several times in her life, including in a quite old age, thus changing multiple professions and becoming exquisitely professional from zero every time; very active, stubborn, and brave in pursuing her goals, etc., etc., etc. I was especially fascinated by her travels to Africa in her 60s/70s and her sincere and very endearing connection to the indigenous people of the Nuba tribe, which is a whole another subject for discussion (I wrote a separate post about it). She also had tender loving relationships with her mother, her only significant person in the world, and you, again, would be deeply moved by this.

Yes, all this slowly but surely wins your heart, even if you are very critical of Riefenstahl by default. And all this is true facts of her life, and she talks about them with a rare honesty and diligence, so you really commiserate with various (usually seriously unlucky, objectively unfair) events that made her “change careers” and admire her ability to land on her feet again and again and find application to her talents in something new.

But yeah, you should always be “on alert,” because she definitely lied or “wasn’t sincere enough” about at least one issue here: her affiliations with Hitler / the Third Reich and the nature of her work there. Although the problem is not in lying per se: I think that she just “tweaked” some facts here and there and maybe kept silent about certain events but overall she represents the very essence of this period and her involvement more or less truthfully (as all this is easily double-checked objectively). The key problem with Leni Riefenstahl has always been the fact that she never admitted that her work was “propagandist” under the Third Reich, she vehemently and even aggressively denied any accusations in her contribution to Hitler’s / Nazi crimes against humanity, and she refused even to talk about her “moral responsibility.” She never expressed any regret about anything she did because she believed that she did nothing wrong at all. She claims that she never knew about the concentration camps and all the atrocities of the Nazis before she was first arrested and interrogated by the Allies after the end of the war (and we, of course, cannot KNOW for sure what she really knew and did not know and what she thought about it then). She states that she just never was interested in “politics,” as if it may explain why she never “noticed” about Hitler and the Nazis what the whole world was indignant about and scared to death even before World War Two started, but yes, at some point you tend to believe this, although all the logic tells you that even a very self-absorbed and narcissistic person cannot be SO blind to society around him/her. All her life, she insisted that her art is just art, regardless of the political regime under which it was created. And many other bullshit things that you instantly recognize as insincere and incongruous but cannot be absolutely sure about any of it. After all, these memoirs were written not only because Leni Riefenstahl had a very interesting and rich life, but with a very clear purpose of providing “her own version” of her life once and for all, and this version should have been (in Riefenstahl’s opinion) a definitive source of information about her. She may be totally true in everything else, but she obviously used this opportunity to whitewash herself from the only thing that bitterly spoiled her triumphant procession in life.

Well, I can just recommend reading these memoirs and try to find for yourself various details and nuances that show us where she (most probably) lies and tries to seem a naive hard-working genius with a clear conscience before herself, but be aware that you would want to believe her much more than not to believe. Because, after all, she was indeed a hard-working genius, and she indeed did not care about many things that were beyond her subjects of interest right now. Look, for example, at these lines about her cooking abilities, and you would want to believe instantly that yeah, such a woman could not care less about “politics,” as about many other things that did not feel interesting and important to her )):

“Когда Изенбург принялся готовить ужин, я увидела, что он даже не умеет чистить картошку. Я была еще более неловкая, и тогда мы с ним решили сделать овощной салат.” (this was during one of her expeditions to Africa, in 1963, when she was 61 years old)

“С течением времени, надо заметить, чем легче я управлялась с фото- и кинокамерами, тем тяжелее мне становилось заниматься домашним хозяйством. Моя мать очень избаловала меня. После ее кончины попытки приготовить себе что-то перекусить, как правило, заканчивались неудачей: я уже неоднократно обжигала пальцы на руках, молоко выливалось на пол, и в довершение ко всему регулярно разбивались тарелки и чашки.” (and this was a couple of years later, after the death of her old mother)

However, while you believe in her “naivete” and hard-working self-absorption, try to notice various details that show us something different, far from “naive ignorance.” For me, the first most obvious sign of her insincerity was an episode from her travel to the USA within a large global tour dedicated to the demonstration of her “Olympia” and receiving various awards for it. By the way, if you did not know: “Olympia” was a great success all over the world at the time, despite the fact that it was already the peak of Hitler’s and Nazi rise, and actually the movie premiere had to be postponed due to the Anschluss of Austria (such a nuisance!). It was extremely weird to read about all this triumph of the movie and jubilant Leni Riefenstahl, knowing “the historical context.” The world was already on the verge of catastrophe, and all the intelligent people knew it, because Nazi Germany was already VERY aggressive towards both its internal “enemies” (political opposition, Jews) and neighboring countries / global politics overall. It was already a clearly inhumane and dictatorial regime, and most of the German intelligentsia was fleeing Germany in horror, while Leni was enjoying herself — and the world applauded her.

Her tour in America started in the beginning of November 1938 (“В начале ноября в Бремерхафене мы поднялись на борт парохода «Европа».”), and while she was in the ocean, the infamous “Kristallnacht” happened in Germany (9–10 November 1938). This is why one of the first things she was asked in the USA was this subject ("— Что вы скажете по поводу того, что немцы жгут еврейские синагоги, громят еврейские магазины и убивают евреев?"), and look how she reacts to this and what a derogatory tone she chose to tell about this even many, many years later. Her reaction there is a very characteristic example of how Leni “reacts” to any accusations in collaboration with Hitler and participation in Nazi crimes: (1) she always “did not know anything” and never had time to be aware of “politics”; (2) she was horrified by the few things that became known to her after all but always received some plausible explanation, very logical and always excusing Hitler in one or another way or at least expressing doubts that Hitler really would do it.

The warm feelings towards Hitler are very obvious in all her memoirs; she claims that she was in the worst relationships with Goebbels and that they always mutually hated each other, but all her memories about Hitler personally reflect sadness that such a kind and sweet man became so infamous. She never expressed it directly but you can feel that she did not believe that Hitler himself was behind most of the atrocities of Nazi Germany.

She also obviously lied and kept silent about what she did in the first weeks of World War Two in Poland; she dedicates just a couple of pages to this, mostly concentrating on her infamous photograph from the place of mass murder of Polish Jews (she claims that she did not see any “murders” and “did not know anything,” as always, and this photograph was made in a totally different context — she actually sued the magazine who claimed the opposite, and she won the trial; she describes all this in detail in her memoirs but does not tell about anything else about her work in Poland). However, there are multiple photographs from her work as a war correspondent in Poland in 1939, and she definitely wasn’t an accidental witness at the place of one of the first mass murders of Polish Jews (guess what Hitler’s “war correspondent” could do there at the very moment?), and she was also in occupied Poland filming Hitler’s victory parade in Warsaw. She does not talk about all this in her memoirs, and you can try to “recreate the events for yourself” by looking at her photographs as a “war correspondent.“

You should also notice how she always (all her life actually, but starting approximately from the late 1930s) talks about some “enemies” and “adversaries” (“мои враги,” “мои противники,” “мои недоброжелатели” in the Russian translation) who personally pursued her (probably because of jealousy toward her talents) and showered her with constant “nasty lies” and “libels” (“клевета,” “нападки”). She never admitted that there were objective circumstances that made many people and organisations protest against her enjoying triumphs without any “moral responsibility.” She believed all her life that all this was just spiteful and grumpy scheming against her personally.

But you can clearly that, despite her claimed “ignorance” about the Kristallnacht and all the other problems that Nazi Germany posed for the world, Leni was fully aware about who is protesting against her and why ("В прессе появились статьи, в которых Антифашистская лига требовала объявить мне бойкот. Они гласили: «В Голливуде нет места для Лени Рифеншталь». На улицах были развешаны транспаранты с таким же текстом," "Сожалеем, сообщили мне, но еврейские литераторы выразили протест против выпуска этого альбома," "В письме в эту газету, опубликованном ею же, британская секция Всемирного еврейского конгресса рьяно протестовала против моего с ней сотрудничества. Обоснование повторяло заявление еврейской общины в Берлине," etc.); even then, in 1938, she already knows about the widespread “boycott” and that most respectable personalities and organizations would never even approach her from now on, and she DOES NOT CARE ABOUT IT. She believes that this is an intrigue, a nasty scheme, some dirty practices, that she never did anything that would deserve it, and she just decided to “withstand” all this as some natural disaster. And this is a perfect illustration for everything that should be known about her “affiliation with Hitler.”

After this, she had a long life where people asked her about all this and many other things repeatedly, and she followed the same line adamantly: I “did not know anything,” I never had time to be aware of “politics,” all these concentration camps and wars are horrible, horrible things, but how can I be blamed in them, and “Hitler was always so kind and nice, I cannot believe that he did all this stuff.” Very soon, though, she understood that this bullshit (especially about kind and nice Hitler) does not work, so she stopped (very aggressively) any discussions about “politics” right after the very first question on the subject. In her memoirs, she continues talking about her personal “enemies,” “adversaries,” “nasty lies,” “libels,” etc.

I also found very “tell-tale” an episode where she sued (and won a lot of money) an anti-fascist film-maker for “copyright infringement” because he used some short excerpts from her “Triumph of the Will” for a documentary movie about the Nazi regime. Leni could not be more “innocent” here, right? ))

At the same time, I admit that she sometimes asks very relevant questions, like this one:

“в одном из американских журналов появилась неожиданная статья под заголовком «Стыд и слава в кино» Келлера и Берсона. Процитирую: «Вы — талантливый режиссер. Вы работали на Гитлера? Вы — наци. Вы работаете на Сталина? Вы — гений».
В материале сравнивались мои фильмы с киноработами Сергея Эйзенштейна, сопоставлялись «Триумф воли» и «Броненосец Потемкин». О моей «Олимпии» Келлер и Берсон писали: «Фильм не только произведение искусства, а прежде всего завещание немецкому кино».”

Yes, this was a very correct observation in a world where pro-Nazi propaganda was condemned and forbidden while pro-Soviet/pro-Russian propaganda was still considered “art.”

So yeah, it is a very interesting subject to think about: how sincere she actually was and what exactly could have been done to her in order to force her to understand (or to admit publicly) that her products were not “just art,” and her behaviour was unacceptable for any responsible and intelligent person if we want to believe that he/she was genuinely “beyond politics.” Today, especially in the context of our relationships with Russia, we already know answers to these questions to a large extent, but it looks like that, during Leni Riefenstahl’s lifetime, all these aspects were a huge and very confusing “grey zone,” and in the 1970s, people finally “buckled” before her apparently insencere but adamant “innocence” (I have written about it in the post about Nuba phorographs, plus in a couple of other posts: about her friendship with Mick Jagger and about her collaboration with British “The Sunday Times Magazine”).

I now often think with sadness what powerful contribution Leni would give to the world if, after WW2, she genuinely repented and started to make documentaries / photographs dedicated to the reconstruction of truthful events during the Nazi regime and the war, paying respect to its victims, making the Holocaust more visible and relevant for people, etc., etc. But no, she chose another path, the path of an overthrown, destroyed, and forgotten archangel and much more “depoliticized” subjects for her creative work.

[Zuzanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is long and at times exhausting memoir of the innovative filmmaker and cinematic genius living life to the hilt. The book provides insights into a woman who experienced the heights of international success and artistic glory as filmmaker as well as the depths of prejudice and hatred for her earlier affiliations with Hitler; insights into a person who endured numerous health illnesses through the years but went to live and be professionally active until 101; insights of Germany before, during, after WWII; tremendous insights into early filmmaking industry and camera work, mountaineering and skiing as well as travel accounts in Sudan and tribal life.
Riefenstahl black and white point of view carries throughout the book with the first half describing her triumphs pre and during the Third Reich as a dancer, actress and filmmaker, the infatuation over Hitler and first hand account of the Nazi inner circle, which was by far the most riveting part of the book. In contrast, the second half focuses on the post-war aftermath where Riefenstahl’s life remained trapped in the shadow of her association with Hitler: her postwar imprisonment, personal struggles and sacrifices, and the exhaustive accounts of her many repeated attempts in financing her projects after being “blacklisted”.
As the book goes through different decades, Riefenstahl insists in great lengths of her apolitical freedom, the fact she directed the “The Triumph of the Will” and “Olympia” documentaries solely as works of art and that she “unreservedly rejected Hitler's racist ideas” only to find out about the genocide of the Jews after war. She demonstrates herself as naive and preoccupied with her own artistic agenda all her life, with no societal awareness and ability to evaluate people, and if one hopes for any soul-searching at least towards the end of the book, they will be disappointed. The book covers the trials and tribulations as a filmmaker yet her relentless courage, sense of adventure and zest for persevering and pursuing her goals is fascinating. You can’t deny her revolutionary filming and editing techniques and the power to reinvent herself in the later stage as a photographer, keeping alive the debate over whether her talent could be separated from her stand during the Nazi regime.

[Alejandro Salgado B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Memorias”, es una confesión muy valiosa, triste y sentida, de una de las grandes directoras y artistas de la historia del cine. Un retrato informativo y satisfactorio, por dar a conocer de primera mano el conocimiento y visión que tenía sobre el cine, además de conocer sus técnicas de filmación, edición y montaje; también es un retrato triste y desgarrador, por la maldición que la persiguió de por vida y le impidió hacer lo que más amaba; pero especialmente, es una historia de fortaleza y de voluntad inquebrantable ante las adversidades… y un gran recordatorio, que el arte puede ser el bálsamo que nos da esperanzas para seguir viviendo y mantener la esperanza en la humanidad.

Reseña completa en:
http://asbvirtualinfo.blogspot.com.co...

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Was ist die Schuld von Leni Riefenstahl? Daß Hitler sie bewundert hat." (N. Swallow zitiert nach Rienfenstahl:786).

So einfach war es sicherlich nicht.

Egal wie viel Mittäterschaft an dem Naziverbrechen man ihr zuschreiben soll, ihre Autobiographie gibt einen guten Einblick in "The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl". Auch wenn viele Fragen unbeantwortet bleiben, vieles nur geschickt angedeutet oder ausgelassen wird, stellen ihre Memoiren ein spannendes Dokument von einem einzigartigen und turbulenten Leben dar.

Wie unendlich traurig, dass so ein Film- und Bildtalent dieses Schicksal nahm.

[Nancy Thormann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last 80 pages were good. I still can't believe how badly she was treated by the German people. She seems to have been well accepted by the Americans and British. They seemed to appreciate her work as a director more than the Germans did. The Germans seemed to have gone from the extreme of accepting everything Hitler and the Nazis did to accepting nothing about the Nazis and Hitler. The world was black and white to them, especially in the years after the War. There was no middle ground anywhere for them.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long but such a rewarding read. Riefenstahl's memoir is vivid, detailed and oh so exciting to read and she finds every moment she can to tell her story and show her successes and failures. Controversial indeed, but there is no denying that Riefenstahl is possibly the most innovative female film director and in every way, a true artist.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiografia interessantissima per capire, non per giustificare, il punto di vista e il percorso di una grande artista che pensa solo ad affermare la sua arte e passa sopra a tutto il resto. Assolutamente da leggere.

[Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Не люблю мемуары как жанр, но простые, честные, литературные истории — это всегда интересно.

[Irina Kovalyova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Поставлю отлично. Мне было интересно. Неординарная женщина.

[Milo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a persistent failure, in the reasoning of Leni Riefenstahl, to concede causality. That her actions may, directly or indirectly, lead to outcomes she did or did not intend. At once she is forthright and determined: she gets what she wants by unrelenting effort. And she is passive, she is subject to the requests of others, and she is incapable of making any real change in the world. Where her career as a filmmaker was begun and maintained by extreme insistence on her part, as soon as she is involved in propaganda films (a designation she denies), this extreme insistence morphs into a kind of obligation. We are to suppose the most impressive documentary ever arranged was done so reluctantly, dispassionately, and in order to please a prestigious but nonetheless abstract acquaintance. The narrative seems a little askew. I am fain to believe an alternative prescription: that Riefenstahl intentionally ingratiated herself with the Nazi elite, so as to enable her ambition, and whether or not she had any ideological interest in Nazism (very credibly little), she was nonetheless impressed by the aesthetic regime of Speer and Hitler and certainly willing to use their resources to magnify both her own abilities and those of her sponsors. It seems, in my view, a mutual benefit: Riefenstahl would pursue the opportunity to make Triumph of the Will, and make it beautifully, so as to enable a free and unprecedented career. Similarly she pursued a meeting with Hitler in the first place. We cannot accept that this canny, ruthless character suddenly bowed her head to the greater personality: in all respects Triumph of the Will was just that. Both parties (Leni and the Nazi) were glorified, and both found themselves more assured and astute than prior. The Olympics commission, also represented a reluctant ask, and one supposedly discouraged by Goebbels, rings with a similar falsity. Olympia was the most expensive documentary ever produced, with access and equipment unparalleled. Despite her claims, it received open-tap (if indirect) funding from the Nazis. Should we believe that this – probably the most fantastic gig in all filmmaking – landed unwilled in her lap? Or else should we imagine that Riefenstahl, the Maiden of Will, engineered this success much in the way that she engineered all those that preceded it? Before and after the war years, she describes her victories in such laboured terms; it is only in this middle (and most triumphant) period that they seem to accrete from nowhere. The gaps fill in themselves. Though we encounter this denial of causality elsewhere. Late in the text (and it is remarkable just how much of this book, always fascinating, is somehow irrelevant to the war years) Riefenstahl bemoans the modernization of the Nuba tribe, who she was photographing. But she denies outright that she could have had any influence in the fact, despite her world-famous pictures suddenly revealing this largely-hidden people to the whole world. A gaggle of tourists arrived at the more distant Nuba-settlement specifically in search of Leni Riefenstahl. Even in the face of this reality, she can take no responsibility for the world around her. This seems to be the pattern of her recollections. She is the passive observer, until the point of victory; it is either that she did everything, or nothing. Her mistakes were only in being overkind to those who would later betray her. I wonder how much of this is a conscious effort of mistruth (as several details in the Nazi years undoubtedly are) or rather a particular psychological pattern that simply cannot associate the unintended outcome with the person responsible for it. After all, if the triumphing of will is her byword (and very like it is), the notion of an outcome unwilled (be that the Holocaust, or whatever else) is surely outside the bounds of the given individual. Her intention was to dance, to make movies, to be a star, to take pictures, and whatever else. Her means are just that: means to an end, of no intention or importance. Around the lies and delusions, this appears to be the fundamental psychological device.

[Montse Gallardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno de mis eternos pendientes. Siempre me llamó la atención la vida de esta mujer y su capacidad de reinventarse. Desde decidir (a los 15 años) que quería ser bailarina, hasta sus últimos años como fotógrafa submarina, teniendo éxito en todo lo que se proponía... excepto en mantenerse alejada de la sombra de aliada del nazismo que siempre la persiguió.

Obviamente no esperaba (bueno, sí...) que entrase en detalles "morbosos" sobre Hitler y los entresijos del Partido Nazi, pero se pone tan, tan de perfil ante unos hechos que son historia y de los que inevitablemente fue parte, que siembra una sombra de duda acerca de todo lo que cuenta.

No obstante -obviando la (escasa) calidad literaria de las memoria- vale la pena leer la vida de una mujer interesantísima, por su tiempo y por sus grandes aportaciones a la técnica cinematográfica (inventora del travelling, sus películas siguen siendo estudiadas en las academias de cine, por su gran calidad técnica, en el uso de los planos, la luz y la propia narrativa) o a la antropología (sus fotos de los nuba -pueden encontrarse en internet- aportaron gran conocimiento sobre un pueblo que hasta el momento en que ella los fotografió -años 50 del siglo pasado- habían permanecido de espaldas al mundo "civilizado"... por suerte para ellos...)

Las Memorias de Leni Riefenstahl pasan de lo personal (su familia, sus colegas, sus amantes...) a lo político y lo social de una manera bastante fluida, aunque a veces da algunos saltos demasiado chocantes. Nos permiten conocer a una mujer voluntariosa, trabajadora, fuerte, independiente, que -desde el final de la 2GM- se vio perseguida por la sospecha de haber sido nazi, aunque nunca se pudo demostrar nada al respecto y ganó todos los juicios que planteó contra difamadores, tanto a nivel institucional como individual. Se pasó toda su vida intentando recuperar los derechos sobre su obra, vivió en la miseria absoluta (habiendo sido una estrella del baile, primero, del cine después, como actriz al principio y luego como realizadora, relacionada con la alta burguesía, con artistas de todo el mundo... y con Hitler, a quien admiraba como hombre pero del que afirma que desconocía su política...) y se reinventó pidiendo préstamos, haciendo trabajos pequeños, viviendo de "invitada" de amigos en mejor posición...

¿Y su postura ante el nazismo? Ella no sabía nada, sólo se dedicaba a su trabajo, se fiaba de lo que le decían, que los judíos no corrían peligro, sólo los maleantes eran castigados... y siempre creyó que era así -incluso cuando le llevaron a un montón de gitanos de un campo de concentración para que hicieran de extras en una de sus películas, y ella siempre defendió que no fueron trabajadores esclavos y que pensaba que eran de los pueblos de alrededores; es el único caso que sí se pudo demostrar que se aprovechó del sistema nazi de trabajo esclavo- y siempre defendió su inocencia. ¿es creíble? pues no mucho; algunos comentarios chirrían un poco, pero lo cierto es que todos los juicios que tuvo por colaboracionista los ganó ella, que hubo personas judías que habían trabajado con/para ella que defendieron su postura de que no era ni nazi ni antisemita, pero es tan extraño que estando cercana a la cúpula de poder no se enterara de nada que una llega a creer que Hitler realmente engaño a todo el pueblo alemán y por eso nadie se dio cuenta de nada...

En definitiva, un libro interesante sobre una mujer de la que quería saber más, que en ocasiones se me ha hecho largo, pero que ha valido la pena leer

(6,5/10)

Reto Popsugar Básico 8: Las memorias de un/a famoso/a

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book a five star rating because I appreciate the amount of work that goes into writing any length book. Considering the scope of the aftermath of producing two films during the period of the Third Reich I would venture that writing about that time period and defending her actions takes an incredible amount of energy. She explains her reasons in the last section of the book for going into such detail about conversations with Hitler and just exactly who commissioned the making of two films Triumph of the Will and Olympia. It struck me as curious that she goes to great lengths to tell us that she didn’t really want to make Triumph of the Will and then is upset when prints are later destroyed or such poor quality that they are not viewable. Obviously prints exist because there were copyright issues that came up consistently. Her account of her life and the emotions it stirs up seems to be an honest one. I recognize obsession in her devotion to projects and about halfway through the book I wondered why she kept making the same decisions over and over again even when her work and plans seemed destined to fall through time and again. I was also struck by the differences in her receptions by African and European leaders from 1945 to the year of the book’s publication. I did get interested in reading Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway, the book she credits for inspiring her interest in that continent. It was a good read in sections. I couldn’t sit down and read this in one sitting but I did take away a better understanding of her life and work. I had only heard her name in passing when reading about the different people in the Third Reich. You do need to know some history before picking up this book because she doesn’t go to any lengths to explain it.

[Hung-ya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’ t think there is anyone who dares to deny the prominence and accomplishments of Leni Riefenstahl, I myself was especially so after watching Triumph of the Will.

I admire the courage and bravery of hers to disclose her life in almost full details, especially when she knew that doing so, she was also telling the readers about her woven past with the Nazis. I adore the fact that how she came through on the top of her profession when all other brilliant fellow professionals were dominantly males. And she was absolutely talented in whatever she chose to do.

Having said that, during my reading her memoir, I couldn't help but feel that while she was disclosing her tangled past with Hitler and all, she probably had chosen to hide something in the mean time. Though she kept saying that she had neither no knowledge nor interest in politics whatsoever, unfortunately the fact is that she wouldn't be in where she was during the Nazi period without certain degrees of support from the Nazis. And to even gain and own that power to film documentaries for Nazi Germany, one must have shown some degree of loyalty so that people would place trust in her. These are the details I thought Leni chose to play down with so that she wouldn't invite more criticism than what she already had.

Perhaps that is why we could never stop talking about Leni Riefenstahl that she had been both phenomenal and controversial at the same time almost throughout her life. And what a life she had!

[Clara Mazzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leni Riefenstahl (1902 – 2003) ha vissuto l’intero XX secolo: di storie da raccontare ne avrebbe! Non sembra però averne veramente avuto la voglia di farlo in questa sua autobiografia, “assemblata” come se fosse un montaggio di vari spezzoni di vita (capitoli molto brevi, di solo qualche pagina, tutti anticipati da un titolo). Essendo stata lei una “grande regista” (alla fin fine però questo encomio, tra tutto – o quel poco! – che ha fatto, vale solo per l’eterno “Olimpia”) potrebbe sembrare una grandissima trovata stilistica se non fosse che “saltando” da uno spezzone all’altro, si ha la netta impressione che tra un buco narrativo e l’altro, venga tralasciato molto - o per la precisione: venga tralasciato tutto ciò che possa essere mal interpretato, che potrebbe gettare una luce ancora peggiore di quella che già brilla su di lei. Personaggio molto controverso, questa Leni Riefensthal – di cui sappiamo solo quello che ha accuratamente scelto di raccontarci – alla pari di un’eroina tragica (dalla grande gestualità drammatica ma vuota), entra in scena sempre come una donna dalla bellezza travolgente e conturbante, tale da spingere gli uomini a perdere il controllo di sé e subito avvinghiarsi a lei, “baciandole il seno” costretta – ma determinata – a mantenersi casta e a ripudiare queste odiose avance (che non si capisce bene poi perché le siano tutte così odiose: forse perché, scritto a posteriori e notando che tanti erano celebri capi nazisti – tra cui, niente popo’ di meno che Hitler, il quale però sembrava un mega represso – era forse meglio raccontare così?) al fine di mantenere il suo ruolo di casta guerriera (wagneriana…). Una donna quindi costantemente sotto tiro: o preda delle fantasie sessuali di qualsiasi uomo le fosse attorno (ma nel suo ambiente c’era solo lei come donna), oppure criticata per il suo lavoro piuttosto che per le sue ambiguissime relazioni coi nazisti. Lei ovviamente ci racconta solo dei rari incontri di lavoro con questi. Eppure, il tanto non detto non riesce a rendercela amica: Leni resta, dalla prima all’ultima pagina, una donna antipatica perché piena di sé e occupata solo da sé stessa, molto opportunista (e questo emerge anche dopo aver letto la sua stessa versione di sé!) e decisamente contraddittoria: è sempre poverissima, ma vive in ville, si compra pellicce e macchine costose che poi pare dover vendere per fare i suoi film – che però non sono poi molti; non si è mai iscritta al partito eppure Hitler era una figura per lei affascinante; non ha condiviso l’antisemitismo (vero) ma non ha preso le distanze dal nazismo; è ambita da tutti ma lei è asentimentale (persino il rapporto con la madre dei suoi ultimi anni di vita, sembra più strumentale che sentito). Allo stesso tempo è stata ammirevole per il fatto di essere stata indiscutibilmente un’eccellente regista (senza aver mai frequentato una scuola di cinema) e che sebbene frequentasse gli ambienti nazisti ha mantenuto fieramente la sua indipendenza (specialmente quella intellettuale) sebbene fosse una donna e single (cioè non protetta da nessun uomo – potente), una parte certamente non apprezzata, né incoraggiata dal nazismo. Leni racconta la sua vita tutta d’un fiato, cercando di proporre pallottole narrative ad alto contenuto esplosivo in ciascuno dei paragrafetti in cui l’ha suddivisa, forse cercando così di confondere il lettore e non lasciargli spazio per altre domande, ovvero tutte quelle che le vorremmo fare su quei momenti non raccontati e che non abbiano a che fare col suo lavoro, di cui lei (chiaramente con intenzione) racconta pochissimo. L’aspetto che comunque cattura della Riefensthal è la sua inesauribile energia a qualsiasi età e davanti a qualsiasi ostacolo: una sorgente di positivismo e di fiducia in sé a dir poco invidiabile. È in costante stato creativo, ripeto in qualsiasi momento della sua vita (almeno: lei ce lo racconta così, ma questo, stranamente, non sembra una menzogna o esagerato, probabilmente perché dal momento in cui non si è mai veramente innamorata di qualcuno, tutto il suo eros era concentrato nella creazione, un pensiero che può non essere poi così peregrino). La grinta, l’energia che ha avuto sono stati veramente formidabili e rimarchevoli.
A libro chiuso, comunque, questa autobiografia comunque non soddisfa perché si percepisce che è volutamente incompleta e questo non mi è piaciuto perché cerca di fare in modo che il lettore si faccia un’impressione positiva su di lei quando chiaramente manipola i fatti quando non li cela. Umanamente mi è piaciuta ancora di meno di quel poco che sapevo di lei; per quanto riguarda il suo aspetto professionale non posso che unirmi al plauso generale perché effettivamente ha creato pochi film ma veramente ben fatti ,anche ben narrati dal punto di vista del “making of” negli anni Trenta; infine un certo interesse (poco, perché ancora una volta, condivide poco col lettore) è stata la sua vita post secondo conflitto, accusata dagli alleati di collaborazione col nazismo e quindi costretta a passare attraverso il lungo vaglio del processo di denazificazione cosa che l’ha costretta all’inattività e ad una certa povertà – ma ne sappiamo ancora una volta, troppo poco. Fallisce, dunque la Riefenstahl nel vendere la sua immagine di sé come quella di una donna scevra da ogni accusa, “vittima di un mondo crudele” ma non credo che fosse quello che veramente le interessasse raccontare: quello che passa è che è stata una forza della natura, che ne era perfettamente consapevole e che di questo suo aspetto, anche se ha dovuto stringere alleanze discutibili, lei ne è fiera e non ha il minimo rimorso. Ma a me non è piaciuta lo stesso.