Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1938)

Awards
- 1 win

Top cast59

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Shigeo Arai

Self - Swimmer, Japan

Jack Beresford

Self - Rower, Britain

Ralf Berzsenyi

Self - Small-Bore Rifle, Hungary

Ferenc Csík

Self - Swimmer, Hungary

Richard Degener

Self - Springboard Diver, USA

Willemijntje den Ouden

Self - Swimmer, Holland

Charles des Jammonières

Self - Free Pistol, France

Velma Dunn

Self - Platfom Diver, USA

Konrad Frey

Self - Gymnastics, Germany

Marjorie Gestring

Self - Springboard Diver, USA

Albert Greene

Self - Springboard Diver, USA

Tetsuo Hamuro

Self - 1st Place: 200m Breaststroke, Japan

Josef Hasenöhrl

Self - Single Sculls Rower, Austria

Heinz Hax

Self - Rapid-Fire Pistol, Germany

Adolf Hitler

Self

Alois Hudec

Self - Gymnastics, Czechoslovakia

Cornelius Johnson

Self - High Jump Winner

Adolph Kiefer

Self - Swimmer, USA

Director
- Leni Riefenstahl
Writer
- Leni Riefenstahl
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

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Trivia
Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

Goofs
Just after Speer's 'Lichtdom' or Cathedral of Light is revealed, there is a procession of flags. The 7th flag, that of Portugal, is hung upside down on its pole. The same mistake is shown again a few seconds later as the wreaths are placed on the finials.

Alternate versions
It is well known that both parts of Olympia were made in three language versions - English, French, and German. Less well known is that each version is slightly different from one another. Additionally, at least with the English version, Riefenstahl frequently altered prints. The prints distributed on 16mm film in the 1960s did not have a boxing sequence, whereas current prints do (although the dialogue for the boxing sequence is in German). Even less well known is that upon its original release in the United States (1940), the Diving Sequence was about 1 minute longer than its current version (attentive soundtrack listeners can clearly hear the abrupt break in the music). This longer version of the Diving Sequence can be seen at the Anthology Film Archives (whose print comes from Raymond Rohauer) and the Museum of Modern Art, both in New York City.

Connections
Featured in Ai yori ai e (1938)

Olympia 2 (1938)

**** (out of 4)

The second part of Riefenstahl's documents of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. I enjoyed this "sequel" a little less than the first film but that's not to say this one here isn't among the greatest films out there. The brilliant cinematography and editing are still here but the focus on the sports is quite differently. The first film mainly focused on track and field but this one goes for a wider range of events including a cross country trip, which ends with the runners falling from exhaustion. Also on display are gymnastics, which contain perhaps the greatest visuals of either film and perhaps the greatest of any film. I've watched gymnastics on various sports channels including ESPN and after watching this movie all I can say is that these people really need to study what's on display here. It's rather amazing at how brilliant this stuff looks compared to today and especially all the slow-motion treats, which really capture and show how incredibly skilled these athletes are. Diving, swimming, decathlon, field hockey and shooting are also on display here. The incredible beauty of this film makes it seem like all the shots were rehearsed and even the action was staged but of course this isn't true and this here just makes the film shine even more. All the controversy that has surrounded Riefenstahl is certainly wanted but it's a shame that this takes away from her incredible gift as a director. I always say ones personal life shouldn't come between the art and here is another stunning example of that.