Olympia 1. Teil - Fest der Völker

Mar 8 1940 Not Rated 2h 1m
Documentary, Sport

Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. This first half of her two-part film opens with a renowned introduction that compares modern Olympians to classical Greek heroes, then goes on to provide thrilling in-the-moment coverage of some of the games' most celebrated moments, including African-American athlete Jesse Owens winning a then-unprecedented four gold medals.

Plot

After being commissioned by the 1936 Olympic Committee to create a feature film of the Berlin Olympics, Riefenstahl shot a documentary that celebrates the human body by combining the poetry of bodies in motion with close-ups of athletes in the heat of competition. Includes the marathon, men's diving, and American track star Jesse Owen's sprint races at the 1936 Olympic games. The production tends to glorify the young male body and, some say, expresses the Nazi attitude toward athletic prowess. Includes the lighting of the torch at the stadium and Adolf Hitler looking on in amazement as Jesse Owens wins an unprecedented four Gold Medals.

Written by

Leni Riefenstahl

Directed by

Leni Riefenstahl

Cast

David Albritton, Arvo Askola, Jack Beresford

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Germany

Production Companies

Olympia-Film GmbH

Languages

Deutsch

Awards

2 wins

Scores
# of Votes
5,498
Average Rating
7.7 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA