OLYMPIA -The LENI RIEFENSTAHL Archival Collection (1940)

This limited edition 2-disc set features the complete original version of OLYMPIA, presented for the first time on DVD. (All Region, NTSC)

Special Edition DVD features: Over 5 hours of material including JUGEND DER WELT ("Youth of The World") Official Documentary of the 1936 Winter Olympics at Gaemisch-Partenkirchen, DIE KAMERA FAHRT MIT ("The Camera Goes Too") 1936 Documentary by Bavaria-Filmkunst featuring footage from Leni Rifenstahl’s films OLYMPIA and TRIUMPH OF THE WILL. Deleted Scenes, Biography, Still Gallery, German with ON/OFF English subtitles and English language, Dolby 2.0 audio, Essays by film historian David Calvert Smith, Trailer.

Really nice service

The service from amazon.com was flawless. I got my delevery on before time which really helped me, and the product (a DVD) was in great condition. 10/10 stars to amazon.com December 27, 2008

Regardless of the quality, you must own this movie

Simply stated, Leni Riefenstahl's cinematic genius & good taste are the reason that Olympia as well as Triumph of the Will are great movies. It is extremely easy to get mired in the fact that these movies are about Germany and the Nazi Party. That fact alone seems to deter people from watching these movies. I have to say that I have seen both of these movies/documentaries and there is nothing "overtly" offensive. They are merely masterpiece documentaries.

Olympia shows the Berlin Games of 1936. It was in fact these Olympics that introduced the concepts of an Opening Ceremony, the torch relay and the three-tiered box for the medal presentation. It also made the event an extremely lavish event as well as a somewhat religious undertone. Riefenstahl shows races won by people other than Germans (and yes, some of them are non-Aryan) - she even shows us enough of the presentation ceremonies afterwards for us to be able to hear other national anthems. Riefenstahl's footage is beautiful and masterfully edited while the athletes look amazingly human for what is considered a propaganda piece. As an open-minded individual, I encourage you to watch and make your own decision.
December 2, 2008

great movie, terribly rendered

I want to know who decided that the sort of people who want to see an old art film wouldn't care about the visual quality...

The quality of the restoration is terrible. You spend the first 15 minutes getting used to the well-used-VHS-tape quality. After that you can usually forget about it, but from all accounts one of the things that made this film great was how Riefenstahl used shading, details, fading... And that's just not visible here.

Even so, this is a great movie. Riefenstahl invented half the techniques that she uses here, and does them better than they're usually done today. Plus, the Olympics are just made for her type of movie making. She clearly loves spectacle and athleticism, and she does a good job of making you love them too.

I'm glad I saw this movie. I want to see it again, but I might wait until I find a cleaner version. October 16, 2008

5 star film / 0 star transfer

I have watched many historical b&w films with poorer transfers/more distortion than this, so it isn't UNWATCHABLE to me. I think many reviewers are spoiled by HD clarity in movies, you can't expect clear visual perfection in a 70+ year old film. That said, I'm echoing the other reviewers' disappointment in the overall quality because this film is such a visual masterpiece. I expect much more effort to be put into it as a project, more respect for the material. This is obviously a VHS tape transfer, and I think 'ARCHIVAL COLLECTION' is misleading. If you don't mind distortion/scratches and really NEED to see this film, this DVD is just OK. I have seen a much cleaner version of this film on television once, bright and clear (must have been that Criterion laserdisc everyone talks about). I hope a cleaned up, proper version of this lovely film will be available on DVD, but until then this one will do. 3 stars altogether. May 2, 2008

How could they?

My parents took me to see Olympia at a Dartmouth College screening when I was younger. I have never forgotten the visual and creative impact of this film. Nothing comes remotely close to it's mystical and artistic beauty. I have waited in vain for a theater to re-release it or for there to be a screening of this masterpiece. Now I find that the DVD has been marred. Just because her politics were confused her magnum opus has to be destroyed? Not fair, not fooled. This is a glorious example of human artistic achievement. How could anyone disrespect it to this extent? Do they think they are "punishing" her? Shame on Criterion. March 3, 2008

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