Olympia (1938)

Film: Olympia

Director: Leni Riefenstahl

Country: Germany

Released: April 1938

Runtime: 226 minutes

Genre: Sports

Studio: Olympia-Film

Influenced: John G Avildsen, Steve James, Hugh Hudson, Stephen Hopkins

During the period the Nazis took control of the German film industry in the mid-30s, female director Leni Riefenstahl came to prominence with two films, Triumph of the Will (1935) and Olympia (1935), both of which occupy the space between documentary and propaganda. I could barely stomach watching the Nazi party rally portrayed in the first film but Olympia is more palatable, especially the way it depicts leading black athletes like Jesse Owens winning gold medals while Hitler watches on. 

Riefenstahl was given a huge budget to make Olympia and the finished product was a nearly 4-hour film, split into two parts: Festival of Nations and Festival of Beauty. Riefenstahl's technical mastery and innovative approach to camerawork, combined with the vast resources at her disposal, produce something that is visually stunning. All the athletes, irrespective of race or gender, are treated like Greek gods and it's this approach by Riefenstahl to her film that should overcome any moral qualms about her paymasters.

Festival of Nations starts with evocative footage of the Parthenon in Athens, before we transition to the opening of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and Hitler, who is saluted by the athletes of some countries (Germany and Italy, for example) during the opening ceremony. The first event is the discus, followed by javelin, 80m hurdles and hammer throw. The results of each event are displayed on the large primitive scoreboard in the arena.

Jesse Owens first appears around 45 minutes in, going on to win his first 100m heat in 10.4 seconds. It's astounding seeing how fast he accelerates through the field. In the crowd you can hear U-S-A, U-S-A! Owens! Owens! Owens! In the 100m final, Owens beats his black compatriot Metcalfe with a time of 10.3 seconds. As well as Owens, there are other black American athletes that win gold medals, and the film narrator does veer into racist language at times, such as just before the hour mark in the 800m race, which is won by Woodruff from USA, while Johnson claims top spot in the high jump. 

Bizarrely, the pole vault takes place in the dark. It’s an intensely cinematic experience and a dramatic win for Meadows (USA) against his Japanese rivals. The American win in the 4 x 100m first heat involving Jesse Owens is outstandingly emphatic, leading to a new world record. There's also an impressive win for Britain in the 4 x 400m relay. The Germans take bronze and hail Hitler on the podium while the Americans and English just pick up their medals and smile.

Part 1 ends with an incredible shot of the marathon runners leaving the Berlin stadium flanked by rows of cheering spectators. Herbert Windt's Wagnerian musical accompaniment is dramatic and this long cinematic sequence gives a good sense of the tremendous physical challenge of marathon running. There's a rousing finale when Japan’s Son Kitei wins the race. Harper from Britain comes second, and we see a shot of him exhausted on the ground having his plimsolls removed.

Part 2 (Festival of Beauty) also opens in poetic fashion, this time in a natural setting by the river. Then out of the mists appear some runners in training, followed by erotic shots of muscular young men in the sauna and swimming naked. Some of the scenes here are reminiscent of Vertov, especially the slow motion action shots of men and women competing at sports, with innovative camera angles. Riefenstahl used various techniques, such as cameras on balloons or dug into the earth, to capture the footage, while cinematographer Hans Scheib was responsible for the technically brilliant close-ups of spectators in the crowd, using a 600mm Leica lens.

After a panoramic shot of thousands of women dancing in unison in neat rows outside the stadium, we move to the Olympic harbour and Hitler on a boat watching the regatta. As ever, Britain wins gold in sailing. One thing I found odd was the sight of Nazis in uniform officiating the Olympic games. It all feels so wrong. At one point, German First Lieutenant Handrick receives his gold medal for the modern pentathlon in full Nazi regalia.

This is offset by lovely scenes of Indians in suits and top hats cheering on their team in the hockey match vs Germany. India went on to win the final 8-1 but you wouldn’t know this from watching the film, which only shows the single German goal and then cuts away to a polo match! We also see Austria vs Italy in the football final, which Italy won 2-1 after extra time. An interesting footnote is that Annibale Frossi, scorer of both Italy goals (he’s the one wearing a white headband and, surprisingly, glasses), went on to develop the famous style of ultra defensive football called catenaccio while a manager at several Italian clubs.

Near the end of part 2, the cycling sequence is impressively edited from footage that tracks alongside the cyclists at great speed. There are also memorable scenes in the rowing section, with the dramatic close up of the coxswain and rowers as they shout and strain, while the high diving scenes are rightly celebrated. Somehow, Riefenstahl films the athletes leaping and arcing through the air and then tracks them as they hit the water and then even underwater, in shots that until then had never been seen before on film.