# Olympia 2. Teil - Fest der Schönheit (1938)

### reviewed by
Richard Malatzky

    A film by  Leni Reifenstahl

We all know that Leni Reifenstahl was a great filmaker but dealt in a sordid subject (Triumph of the Will) that eternally put a black mark against her name.

This film, which is the 85 minute second part of the film commisioned by the 1936 Olympic Committee is a work of pure genius. The photography, the music, the editing specifically will never be equalled because no director of genius will ever make a film of the Olympics again and that is required to equal something like this. I have yet to see part one but I read that it is 3 hours in total.

Besides what I mentioned, 3 segments come in for special mention. The Decathalon won by Glenn Morris of the US, The Modern pentathalon and the equstrian. What really brings it home is the specatcle of military officers competing for all these nations that would ultimately be invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany competing on horses in both the MP and the Equestrian. And seeing those Nazi officers at the jumps while their soon to be enemies are jumping over fences and particularly the great scene with the jump into the river with all the competitors flying off the horses and face down into the river. I will never forget that.

One thing I noticed was that all events were in the open including Gymnastics which were certainly in the stone ages in comparison to the level today.

On the jacket of the video box, it says that Holywood "considered it a hymn to Hitler's beliefs" and shunned it.At least in this part, I don't understand where that came from.

    Richard Malatzky

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