Das blaue Licht

The film Das blaue Licht was Leni Riefenstahl's award-winning directorial debut. In fact, she not only directed, but co-wrote, edited, produced and starred in the film. Her transition from actress to director was not only unusual at that time in itself, but it was doubly difficult for her because this was a time when film directing was essentially a man's world — however, she did so with the support and encouragement of many of her contemporaries and mentors, including Arnold Fanck (the director from whom she received her first starring role, as the dancer Diotima in Der heilige Berg), the great screenwriter Béla Balázs, the production company of H.R. Sokal, and many others.

Synopsis

The original version of the film opens with a "frame" story: a prelude (and subsequent conclusion at the end of the film) which takes place in contemporary — i.e. 1930s — times. We meet a young, anonymous couple as they arrive in their roadster to the inn at Santa Maria. With their fancy car, they are mobbed by the children of the village outside the inn, and a little girl offers them a picture of a woman, which first piques the couple's (and the audience's) curiosity. As the couple enters the inn, they see that same woman's picture on the wall, and as evening comes, finally they can't resist asking the the owner of the establishment who this mysterious woman in the picture is. He calls to his son to fetch a book, a giant tome in Italian entitled Historia della Junta, wherein is told the legend which is to be the main story for our film.

We are now transported back to a simpler time from the previous century (which is where the re-edited 1951 version of the film begins) as we find Junta [Leni Riefenstahl], the heroine of our tale, collecting crystals in her basket by a mountain waterfall. Off in the distance down the mountain, a horse-drawn carriage makes it's way on the road leading up to the village, and the coachman signals his impending arrival with his trumpet. Junta hears this and goes to investigate, observing the arrival of a stranger — the artist Vigo [Mathias Wiemann] — who is greeted by the village innkeeper [Max Holzboer].

Her curiosity satisfied, Junta goes off to pick berries in the hills, while Vigo and the innkeeper make their way to the village. As they dine together at the tavern, Vigo observes the sombre mood on the faces of everyone there, and the innkeeper explains how with each full moon, a mysterious blue light appears high up on the mountain of Monte Cristallo, which lures the young men of the village into trying to reach it — but one by one, they fall to their deaths in the attempt, and only the night before another son has sadly perished in this way. To the people of Santa Maria, it is Junta who is to blame, for they see her as a witch who lives alone up in the mountains, the only one who is somehow able to climb the Monte Cristallo and return unharmed. As the innkeeper tells Vigo of this reason for everyone's despair, Junta arrives by the tavern in the hopes that she might receive the kindness of some food, but instead she is taunted and then accosted, and she runs off to make her escape.

As the darkness of night comes, the full moon has come 'round once again, and now Vigo observes for himself the mysterious blue light appearing high up on the mountain. Although the villagers strive to lock their high-strung sons indoors for the night, when morning arrives they discover that yet another boy has perished. As they carry the body to the church, Junta arrives innocently once again at the village, but this time she is stoned and chased through the streets. Vigo feels sympathy for her and tries to stop the attacking mob, but to no avail, and once again she must run to the hills for safety.

Junta makes her way to her home in the mountains, where she find the shepherd boy, Guzzi [Franz Maldacea], who is her only friend. As she tells him of the townfolk's cruelty toward her and of the strange man who tried to help her, back at the village Vigo himself has been feeling more and more sympathy for Junta. He sets off to the mountains to find her, and when he does, she receives him at first with apprehension, but even though they can't understand each other (Vigo is German, Junta is Italian), she senses his kindness and offers him something to eat, and afterwards they part as new-found friends.

The next day Vigo returns to Junta's humble cabin in the mountains, this time bringing with him not only plenty of food to share, but his artist's supplies as well. They spend the day together, with Vigo chopping wood and helping out around her home, but as Junta lies sensually in the grass gazing with complete entrancement at her crystal, Vigo can't help but feel inspired by her beauty, first to paint what he sees before him, and then to embrace her. Junta in her innocence doesn't know what to make of his approaching her in this way, and so she backs away in confusion.

Night falls, and once again the villagers lock their doors. Junta sleeps inside her cabin as Vigo sits outside, contemplating the mysterious woman he has grown to love, but as the light of the full moon shines upon Junta's face, she is awoken and once again she is beckoned to climb Monte Cristallo. Vigo spies her as she climbs up, far above, and goes off to follow her — but they are not alone, for unbeknownst to them, Tonio [Beni Führer], the innkeeper's son, has been unable to resist the lure of the blue light as well. Vigo follows Junta's safe path, and ultimately finds the source of the blue light: a secret grotto filled with glimmering crystals, a private abode of contemplation for Junta, her place "where dreams are made of," one might say. Vigo startles her as he discovers her there, and she despairs over being found out. Worse still, though, is that poor Tonio has not had the same luck in ascending the mountain, and tragically he falls to his death.

The next day, Vigo tells Junta of his plan to get rid of the crystals so that the villagers will no longer hate her, but she doesn't understand him — nor does he understand what they mean to her. He returns to the village, tells the people there of his discovery and the safe path to the grotto, and they all set off up the mountain to mine the crystals and at the same time destroy of the source of the blue light.

What will become of Junta now?
(Click for a pop-up window with the plot spoiler)

Image Galleries

• Titles/Credits for Das blaue Licht — a comparison of the 1932 & 1951 versions
• Das blaue Licht Desktop Wallpapers
• For downloadable video clips, please see Leni Riefenstahl Video Downloads (Part Two: Leni Riefenstahl Produktion)

Historical Notes

• Forthcoming!

Analysis & Criticism (On-Site)

• None (at this time)

Web Links

Below are selected external links (to other sites) with information and/or articles about this film. External links to information about other Leni Riefenstahl films can be found in the Web Links section on the main pages for each of those films, or for more general information please see the Selected Leni Riefenstahl Links section of this site.

• The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
• Production Stills from Das blaue Licht (plus Stürme über dem Montblanc and Der weiße Rausch)

  Part of the Leni Riefenstahl und der deutsche Bergfilm section of the Virtuelles Filmmuseum of the Universität zu Köln.

| Home | | A Dancer's Odyssey | | Early Films Featuring Leni | | Films Directed by Leni |
| Downloads | | LEN-E Discussion List | | Resources | | Guestbook & Contact | | Credits |

All original text copyright © Ron Koster / Leni's Rising Star,
except as otherwise noted.
All original icons, graphics, layout and typography of this entire site
copyright © Leni's Rising Star / Psymon.
May not be reproduced or distributed in any manner
without explicit permission of Leni's Rising Star / Psymon.