Olympia

Produced at the behest of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), Leni Riefenstahl's film of the 11th Olympic Games which took place in Berlin from August 1st to August 16th, 1936, has won numerous awards and is widely considered by film critics to be the greatest sports documentary ever made, also often included in critics' lists of the top 100 films (of any genre) of the 20th century. Although usually referred to alongside Triumph des Willens as a "Nazi propaganda" film made for Hitler, it was in fact commissioned by the International Olympics Committee, and with its multi-national themes and its celebrations of the athletic successes of peoples from all nations and all races, it could easily be argued that this is, indeed, perhaps the greatest anti-Nazi propaganda film ever made.

Synopsis

Various sequences are missing in virtually every version currently available on video or DVD, and in different versions one can also find certain sequences in alternative orders. However, those from the original version of the film, as it premiered in 1938, are listed here.

The sequences (not including opening and closing titles/credits) from the first part of the film, Fest der Völker, originally were:

1. Prologue
   1. Prologue — shots of clouds and fog, the Acropolis and ancient statues
   2. Prologue — semi-nude male athletes, nude female athletes and dancers
   3. Prologue — lighting of the Olympic flame and torch relay, with map of the runners' route through Europe to the Olympic stadium in Berlin
2. Opening Ceremonies — parade of the teams from various nations, Olympic oath, Hitler opening the games, Olympia bell, Olympic Hymn by Richard Strauss, Olympic flame and sunset fading into the Olympic rings
3. Introduction of the Commentators — in various languages
4. Discus (M)
5. Discus (F)
6. Javelin (F)
7. 80-Metre Hurdles (F)
8. Hammer Throw (M)
9. 100-Metre Sprint (M)
10. High Jump (F)
11. Shot-Put (M)
12. 800-Metre Race (M)
13. Hop, Skip & Jump (M)
14. Long Jump (M)
15. 1,500-Metre Race (M)
16. High Jump (M)
17. 100-Metre Hurdles (M)
18. Javelin (M)
19. 10,000-Metre Race (M)
20. Pole Vault (M)
21. 4 x 100-Metre Relay Race (F)
22. 4 x 100-Metre Relay Race (M)
23. 4 x 100-Metre Relay Race (M)
24. Marathon (M)

The sequences (not including opening and closing titles/credits) from the second part of the film, Fest der Schönheit, originally were:

1. Prologue — Olympic Village
2. Gymnasts' March into the Stadium (M & F)
3. Gymnastics (M) — often shortened in some versions of the film
4. Gymnastics (F) — missing in most versions
5. Sailing — very often incorrectly positioned in some versions of the film (in 1955, Riefenstahl put it between sequences #2 and #3 in order to have more variety)
6. Fencing (M)
7. Heavyweight Boxing (M)
8. Pentathlon (M)
9. Gymnastics (F) — whole field/group
10. Decathlon (M)
11. Hockey (M)
12. Polo (M)
13. Soccer (M)
14. Bicycling (M)
15. Military (M)
16. Rowing (M) — canoeing/fours without coxswain
17. Rowing (M) — 8-oared shells
18. 200-Metre Swimming (M)
19. 100-Metre Swimming (M)
20. 100-Metre Swimming (F)
21. Diving (F) — very often incorrectly positioned in some versions of the film
22. Diving (M)
23. Epilogue ("Schlußfeier")

References

• Many thanks to Dr. Luc Deneulin for his extensive research and contribution!

Image Galleries

• None (at this time)
• 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.

• Australian National University collection of photos from Olympia
• Behind Leni's Outlook: A Perspective on the Film Olympia (1938)
• Bibliographies - 1936 Olympics
  

  General information about the 1936 Olympics (including information about Olympia, but not solely devoted to it).

• The Internet Movie Database (IMDb), for Teil 1 — Fest der Völker
• The Internet Movie Database (IMDb), for Teil 2 — Fest der Schönheit
• Jesse Owens, Man and Myth at the 1936 Olympics
• Leni Riefenstahl: Documentary Film-Maker Or Propagandist?
• Leni Riefenstahl's "Olympia": Brilliant Cinematography or Nazi Propaganda?
• Leni's Body Beautiful: Forty Years of Riefenstahl's Olympic Gaze in the James Bond Title Credits
• The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936

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