The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl

Released Sep 11, 1993

3h 2m

Documentary

List

96%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Ray Müller directs this extensive documentary on the life of Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. Created at the behest of Riefenstahl, the film honestly delves into her association with Hitler and the extent to which she knows of the Nazi Party's entire strategy. It also gives a fuller picture of Riefenstahl's life, discussing her ascent from dancer to documentary filmmaker, as well as her post-Nazi work, which includes nature filmmaking and photography.

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Critics Consensus

Leni Riefenstahl reflects on her own Wonderful, Horrible Life in this absorbing documentary, which contends with the contradiction of the awful power that great art can hold.

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Audience Member

An overlong but fascinating documentary about this remarkable filmmaker who mastered her techniques better than many directors, yet not only was limited as an artist (in terms of ideals) but also spent her life denying her guilt for collaborating with a genocidal regime.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

detailed and fascinating insight into the life and work of a unique and formidable lady. great footage of her and her crew at work, underlining the extent of her artistic and technical achievements

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

How did I never learn about this woman in school?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If you've never seen this do yourself a favor and take a "PBS moment" and explore the power of the camera and it's application in manipulating human emotions. Especailly during an election season. Art meets politics and the discussions of Leni's degrees of involvement are not answered with this film, but she poses and interesting question at one point should an artist or thier work be held accountable for it's poilitcal/ cultural impact? Do they have a responcibility to society? While the answer might depend upon circumstances I think Japanese filmmaker Kenji Mizoguchi who in the same era being forced by the military to make propoganda entertainment films delivered some of the most "bland" films ever made as an act of passive resistence. Not allowing his art to be used by others for ill purposes. The 47 Ronin is one of the most static films ever made.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesante documental sobre la mujer cineasta mas importante en la historia del Cine. Es una lastima que le haya tocado vivir en la epoca y/o paiÂs en que vivio. De no haber sido por eso, ella podriÂa haber hecho aun mas aportes al Cine de los que hizo. Una genio, una lastima.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

The film seems to be an accurate enough portrayal of a selfish artist genius.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

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Ray Müller

Director

Leni Riefenstahl

Self

Ray Müller

Writer

Jacques de Clercq

Producer

Waldemar Januszczak

Producer

Hans Peter Kochenrath

Producer

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Walter Goodman

New York Times

... it is her unforgettable and, for many, unforgivable achievements in behalf of Hitler that give the program its force.

Dec 9, 2017

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

This is more often self-portrait than portrait; like Hitler in Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will, she's presented as a fully formed deity without family background or ideology save a reverence for beauty and strength.

Mar 14, 2007

Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Sometimes clunky but consistently fascinating.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 30, 2004

Full Review

Joan Juliet Buck

Vogue

The movie star who embodied the ideals of a nation hungry for myth and then became one of the prime creators and promoters of that myth, Leni Riefenstahl is the most fascinating and weirdly engaging monster ever recorded on film.

Feb 29, 2024

Full Review

Lawrence Frascella

The Advocate

This documentary should prove as fascinating to armchair psychologists as it is to film enthusiasts.

Apr 19, 2022

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

A riveting docu about the controversial filmmaker who made some great propaganda art for Hitler

Rated: B

Jul 25, 2011

Full Review

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Synopsis

Ray Müller directs this extensive documentary on the life of Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. Created at the behest of Riefenstahl, the film honestly delves into her association with Hitler and the extent to which she knows of the Nazi Party's entire strategy. It also gives a fuller picture of Riefenstahl's life, discussing her ascent from dancer to documentary filmmaker, as well as her post-Nazi work, which includes nature filmmaking and photography.

Director: Ray Müller
Screenwriter: Ray Müller
Distributor: Kino International Corp.
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 11, 1993, Original
Runtime: 3h 2m
Sound Mix: Mono