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"Olympia," arguably one of the greatest sports films ever produced, may have also been an effective propaganda tool that promoted National Socialism as a model form of government. A sports documentary of the 1936 Summer Olympics, "Olympia" was directed and produced by the renowned German motion picture producer Leni Riefenstahl.

On the surface, the film appears to be a very well made sports picture, depicting outstanding athletic accomplishments by many individuals and teams throughout the world. However, as World War II neared, critics became more and more suspicious of underlying suspected intentions in producing "Olympia": Nazi propaganda. Kracauer (1947) stated, "To be sure, all Nazi films were more or less propaganda films – even the mere entertainment pictures which seem to be remote from politics" (p. 275). To date, no one has been able to uncover substantive evidence proving that the sole intention of producing "Olympia" was for propaganda purposes. There are, however, many hints that at least part of the German Government's purpose in supporting "Olympia" was to promote the positive principles (as perceived by the Nazis) of National Socialism to the world.

About the Film

There are two parts to the film: the first begins with a history of the Olympic games, depicting the traditions of the ancient games in the city of Olympia and continues with many of the field events of the 1936 Berlin games; the second features the track and field events of the Berlin Games. "Olympia" was considered a documentary, but was much more advanced in that it incorporated components that generally were non-existent in the typical documentary of that time: editing and sound. Riefenstahl's skillful editing allowed for the most exciting moments to be featured and produced a smooth transition between the sporting events. She also, in a most sophisticated manner, incorporated sound in the form of background music and narration. Riefenstahl worked tirelessly to synchronize the music of the distinguished film composer Herbert Windt with the moving images in the film (Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir, 1993, p. 165). In those days, to attach any sort of sound to a moving picture was difficult if not impossible; Riefenstahl accomplished it with a flawless precision that impressed both audiences and critics in Germany and abroad. All of this, in combination with innovative filming techniques made for a film that received the highest acclaim from some of the most respected persons in the industry (Berg-Pan, 1980; Graham, 1986; Infield, 1976; Salkeld, 1996). Even today when viewing "Olympia" one gets the impression that they are a living part of the 1936 games – a far cry from the boorish nature of pre-"Olympia" documentaries.

As World War II was approaching, "Olympia" was scrutinized much more closely. It seemed that since "Olympia" was produced by the same Germany that was beginning to wreak frightful havoc on the world, it had become an assumption that "Olympia" contained a message in support of National Socialism. Was Riefenstahl so absorbed in her work that she had no concept of the Nazi politics surrounding her, or was she much more politically astute than she claimed to be?

There are some facts that make it difficult to believe Riefenstahl was naïve to the way of life around her: (a) professionally, her instincts and insights were extraordinary, (b) she, demonstrated that she possessed the political skills to successfully arrange personal meetings with Hitler and, (c) she effectively orchestrated politics within the German Film Industry as well as within the Nazi Party to attain her production goals (Graham, 1986; Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir, 1993). From a common sense perspective, it is quite unconvincing that Riefenstahl could possess the above skills, allowing her absolute effectiveness in film production, yet be completely unknowledgeable and unknowing of the larger motive of Hitler and the National Socialist Party.

It would be presumptuous and not supported by empirical evidence to accuse Riefenstahl of being aware of the inner workings and agenda of the Nazi Party. There is much room for debate and criticism when comparing Riefenstahl's effective use of her intelligence and savvy in her many professional endeavors, yet the seemingly disappearance of these same qualities when it came to being "in tune" to the larger situation unfolding in Nazi Germany at the time. One would be remiss not to state that Riefenstahl had various ties with international figures. In one case she met, in person, with Benito Mussolini on Hitler's behalf (Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir, 1993, p. 181). And in another case (after "Olympia") received an invitation, extended by Joseph Stalin, to visit Moscow (Hinton, 1978, p. 78).

Without sufficient facts to prove that Riefenstahl was aware of the planned evils of the Nazi Party, then it becomes difficult to prove that Riefenstahl's intent in producing "Olympia" was for political propaganda purposes. The question of whether the film served as propaganda for the Nazi's is quite different. It is more likely that it succeeded as the type of soft propaganda or sociological propaganda that Graham (1986, p. 251) describes. Sociological propaganda in the case of "Olympia" has more to do with "Olympia" portraying a kind and positive image of Germany instead of a more blatant indoctrination of National Socialism principles to the audience.

The audience is provided with an exhilarating sports documentary that features successes of many countries and actually down plays, in some cases, the victories of the German Nation. One end result was that nations throughout the world were pleased to see their athletes featured in such a positive light. These positive feeling concerning the film were ultimately associated with the Nation of Germany and the National Socialist Party. The German government certainly would not have released this film if it had not portrayed Germany in a way that the Nazi party wished to be portrayed.

The film was "officially" stated as being a film produced under Leni Riefenstahl Productions but records show that the finances of "Olympia" were controlled by National Socialist Party Minister of Propaganda, Dr. Joseph Goebbels (Berg-Pan, 1980, p. 142). It cannot be ignored that previous to "Olympia," Riefenstahl produced the film of the National Socialist Party: "Triumph of the Will." "Triumph of the Will" clearly exhibited the powers and everything that the German government believed to be good about National Socialism.

Not Supporting Propaganda

One of the strongest arguments supporting the notion that "Olympia" was a propaganda film (sociological) is also one of the strongest arguments supporting the notion that it was not a propaganda film: the perceived objectivity of the film and what appears to be an unbiased representation of the athletes, nations and games in general. There were several sources, including notable film experts and critics that praised "Olympia" on its film merits. "Olympia" received the Grand Prize at the International Film Festival in Venice after being voted best film of 1938, defeating Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (Hinton, 1991, p. 80). Later during Riefenstahl's visit to Hollywood, Disney received Riefenstahl openly and congratulated her for what he believed to be a masterful production. By this time the anti-German sentiment in the United States had grown to the point that the film was being boycotted and many that projected intense negative criticism had never even viewed the film. Aware of these U.S. feelings towards Germany, if Disney had had any inclination that "Olympia" included political propaganda, it is highly unlikely that he would have received Riefenstahl openly and with genuine praise for her film.

The objectivity that many perceive in "Olympia" is primarily a result of Leni Riefenstahl's refusal to compromise her film production standards with the wishes of others. Riefenstahl extended control over all aspects of the film's creation (Hinton, 1991, p. 79). Throughout the filming, editing, and production in general, the Minister of Propaganda, Dr. Joseph Goebbels frequently pressured Riefenstahl to modify the film in ways that supported Nazi ideals. Aware that Hitler resented successful African-American athletes, and against Goebbel's demands, Riefenstahl featured two highly successful African-American athletes: gold medal winning Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalf (Hinton, 1978, p. 81; Infield, 1976, p. 137). Riefenstahl's resistance to comply with such a high figures in the Nazi regime leads credence to her claim that the film was not produced for propaganda purposes. Also supportive of Riefenstahl's uncompromising ways as a producer of "Olympia" were arguments by Nazi officials that the film was too artistic (Berg-Pan, 1980, p. 102). Finally, somewhat favorable to Riefenstahl's claims that "Olympia" was not a Nazi propaganda film was that, following the war, de-Nazification courts determined that she was not a Nazi (Salkeld, 1996, p. 229).

Discussion

Some might argue that it is not fair to criticize Germany and Riefenstahl for succeeding at what film companies attempt to do in this current age: produce a film with the intentions of pleasing as many diverse groups of peoples as possible and receive the highest praises and reviews from experts and professional critics in the film industry. With this in mind, it is the opinion of the authors that Riefenstahl's "Olympia" contributed to the Nazi movement even if it was in the subtlest of ways. In fact, "Olympia's" effect may have been more powerful since it was perceived by many as a magnificent work of cinematography.

References

1. Berg-Pan, R., (1980) . Leni Riefenstahl. (W. French, Ed. ) . Boston: Twayne.
2. Graham, C. G., (1986) . Leni Riefenstahl and Olympia. Metuchen, NJ & London: 1986.
3. Hinton, D. B., (1978) . The films of Leni Riefenstahl. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
4. Hinton, D. B., (1991) . The films of Leni Riefenstahl (2nd ed. ) . Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
5. Leni Riefenstahl: A memoir. (1993) . New York: St. Martin's Press.
6. Infield, G. B., (1976) . Leni Riefenstahl: The fallen film goddess. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell.
7. Kracauer, S., (1947) . From Caligari to Hitler. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
8. Salkeld, A. (1996) . A portrait of Leni Riefenstahl. London: Random House.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Robert C. Schneider
Physical Education and Sport Department
State University of New York at Brockport
350 New Campus Drive
Brockport, New York 14420-2914.
Phone inquiries may be made at (716) 395-2587 (work)
or at (716) 423-9603 (home).
Electronic mail may be sent via Internet to: rschneid@brockport.edu.