Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl—Will Ferrall

Bach, Steven. New York: Random House, 2007. 432 pp.

In Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl, Steven Bach creates a revealing biography of Riefenstahl, one of the most celebrated and—due to her close relationship with the Nazi leadership—notorious directors of the twentieth century. Leni begins with a description of the director’s childhood. Born into the tenements of a Berlin sprawling headlong into the 20 th century, Leni had to deal with poverty and an obstinate, domineering father. Her adolescent battles with her father, Alfred, molded Leni into a stubborn, independent woman—a rarity in pre-war Germany. She had two other characteristics that would, along with her obstinate behavior, serve her well in the future: an impressive ability to weep and an extremely active sexuality (she had at least twenty-five sexual partners). Bach spends much time describing Leni’s aspirations to be a dancer, which, due to a slight lack of talent, were only partly realized. The publicity of dancing would, however, prove quite fortuitous for Leni, as it led to acting roles in various German films. This is one point of the biography that veers a bit, and enters into a long account of German dance at the time, of a then-contemporary German film, and a description of the popular Alpine genre, where Leni learned to act and eventually direct. Bach does not merely focus on Leni in his work, but also includes a wealth of historical information and background where necessary. While this additional information might at points detract from Leni’s life-story, it does add depth and context to the world in which she lived. Acting for Leni eventually led to directing, a career that she seemed suited for and quickly embraced. She was, notes Bach, quite successful early on, earning the praise and attention of the German and international public, as well as a certain man named Adolf Hitler. Despite her contentions to the contrary later in life, Leni Riefenstahl had a very close relationship with the most powerful men of Nazi Germany, including Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler himself. As Bach describes, Leni caroused often with the Nazi leadership, and used the vast wealth and patronage of the Third Reich to make her most (in)famous films. These included Triumph of the Will, Day of Freedom, and the two films that chronicled the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Although Leni contended that these films were pure documentaries, Bach’s commentary and analysis proves the opposite, that (except, perhaps, for the Olympic films) they were carefully-staged pieces of propaganda. Bach also describes Leni’s life after the demise of the Thousand (Twelve) Year Reich. The Allied powers recognized that Riefenstahl had obviously collaborated with the Nazis and Hitler (her films were famous the world over, after all), and placed her under house arrest following a trial at Nuremburg. Unlike her Nazi sponsors, most of whom committed suicide or were executed, Leni reinvented herself after her house arrest had ended. This reinvention, notes Bach, involved a complete recreation of her past, especially the part involving the Nazis. Leni contended that

she was just an artist, and was never aware of any wrongdoings committed by the Nazis. She was stubborn to the end on this point, and never admitted any regret for her involvement with and assistance to the Nazis. Despite the fact that most Germans and the international community had a difficult time believing her lies, Leni was able to continue her directing career. She was involved in many projects, particularly with the African Nuba tribe, until her death at the age of 101 in 2003. Bach crafts Leni’s biography brilliantly and accessibly. He expertly describes the life of Leni Riefenstahl and successfully (and often sardonically) removes the many layers of lies Leni created in order to hide her true self and past. While I knew of Leni Riefenstahl and had seen several of her (in)famous works before reading Bach’s work, I was not aware of her Nazi-denial. She was, of course, an extremely persuasive woman, but I am not sure anyone but the most gullible would believe that she was unaware of what the Nazis were doing (she was a part of their inner circle, after all). I would recommend this work to anyone who enjoys immersing him/herself in military and film history, or just wants a good book to read about a fascinating person.