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The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

Original title: Die Macht der Bilder: Leni Riefenstahl
  • 19931993
  • 3h 3m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
66,723
33,439
Adolf Hitler and Leni Riefenstahl in The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
Home Video Trailer from Kino International
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
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DocumentaryBiographyHistory
A documentary about the life and work of Leni Riefenstahl, a German film director most notorious for making the most effective propaganda films for the Nazis.A documentary about the life and work of Leni Riefenstahl, a German film director most notorious for making the most effective propaganda films for the Nazis.A documentary about the life and work of Leni Riefenstahl, a German film director most notorious for making the most effective propaganda films for the Nazis.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
66,723
33,439
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Ray Müller
    • Writer
      • Ray Müller
    • Stars
      • Leni Riefenstahl
      • Marlene Dietrich(archive footage)
      • Arnold Fanck(archive footage)
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Ray Müller
    • Writer
      • Ray Müller
    • Stars
      • Leni Riefenstahl
      • Marlene Dietrich(archive footage)
      • Arnold Fanck(archive footage)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 25User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 2 nominations

    Videos1

    The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
    Trailer 2:24
    The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

    Photos

    Leni Riefenstahl in The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Leni Riefenstahl
    Leni Riefenstahl
    • Self
    Marlene Dietrich
    Marlene Dietrich
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Arnold Fanck
    Arnold Fanck
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Walter Frentz
    • Self - Camerman 1936 Olymipcs
    Joseph Goebbels
    Joseph Goebbels
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (as Josef Goebbels)
    Rudolf Hess
    Rudolf Hess
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    John Herbert Higgins
    • Self - U.S. Swimmer
    • (archive footage)
    Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Saburo Ito
    • Self - Japanese Swimmer
    • (archive footage)
    Horst Kettner
    • Self - Leni's Companion
    Reizô Koike
    • Self - Japanese Swimmer
    • (archive footage)
    Guzzi Lantschner
    • Self - Camerman 1936 Olymipcs
    Ralph Metcalfe
    Ralph Metcalfe
    • Self - U.S. Sprinter
    • (archive footage)
    Ray Müller
    • Self
    Jesse Owens
    Jesse Owens
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Ernst Röhm
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Fritz Schilgen
    • Self - Lighting Olympic Cauldron
    • (archive footage)
    Luis Trenker
    Luis Trenker
    • Self
    • Director
      • Ray Müller
    • Writer
      • Ray Müller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      The narrator refers to WG Pabst instead of GW Pabst.
    • Connections
      Edited from Der Berg des Schicksals (1924)

    User reviews25

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    The Banality of Evil
    If you've ever been curious about filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, or more significantly, have wondered how a civilized nation like Germany could have stumbled into a black hole of evil and tyranny, you must see this superbly made documentary. It is scrupulously fair, presenting both exonerating and damning evidence without flinching. While it's very clear that Riefenstahl was not evil in the sense that Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, and Hess were, she certainly had blind spots, and a tendency to let wishful thinking sway her judgment. Like most Germans at the time, she often looked the other way when she could (though not always, as on at least two occasions she probably put herself at risk by openly criticizing the Nazi regime).

    She is shown as being far more interested in art than in Nazism. I had barely realized what an extraordinary talent she was, not just as a movie maker but as a dancer, mountaineer, actress, and photographer. It is so sad that she became a significant cog in the Nazi regime, and was severely punished as a result (as indeed all of Germany was). It would have been worse if they had not.

    "Triumph of the Will" stands as a monument, a sobering reminder of the madness of crowds and the potential tragedy that lurks when they come under the sway of a master manipulator. Riefenstahl's personal tragedy finds some vindication in her willingness to make this film and thus to help us learn the lessons from her life.

    9 points.
    helpful•3
    1
    • davesf
    • Nov 29, 2007

    FAQ1

    • Is it true that Riefenstahl was a skilled mountaineer?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1994 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • United Kingdom
      • Germany
      • Belgium
    • Languages
      • German
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Power of the Image: Leni Riefenstahl
    • Filming locations
      • Austria
    • Production companies
      • ARTE
      • Channel Four Films
      • Middlemarch Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $449,707
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,711
      • Mar 20, 1994
    • Gross worldwide
      • $449,707
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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