New in Paper! Leni Riefenstahl's four-hour film, Olympia, a major propaganda achievement of Nazi Germany in the 1930's, deals with the Eleventh Olympic Games that were held in Berlin in 1936. Olympia is also perhaps the best German film produced during the National Socialist period. Graham has scrutinized the history of the film and shows that it was deeply involved with the regime, both in its stages of production and in its later distribution. He also argues that the film can be regarded as a masterpiece of propaganda, and further, that virtually any work of this nature is bound to have a propaganda effect, whether intended or not. The author relates the film's subsequent history against the background of the worsening political situation in Europe. The events leading up to World War II were to have a profound effect on the future of the film. Aside from the political issues, the book describes the fascinating story of the making of an epic film.The book will be of value to film historians, sports scholars, and those interested in the history and culture of Nazi Germany. Available in paperback 2002. Cloth version previously published in 1986.
Cooper C. Graham has worked in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division of the Library of Congress and has taught film courses for the University of Maryland.
