Dietrich & Riefenstahl: Hollywood, Berlin, and a Century in Two Lives, by Karin Wieland

A highly readable study traces how both women became part of cultural and political networks that shaped 바카라사이트 20th century, writes Ulrike Zitzlsperger

十月 22, 2015

Review: Dietrich and Riefenstahl, by Karin Wieland

The names Marlene Dietrich and Leni Riefenstahl conjure up distinctive associations. There is 바카라사이트 provocative Dietrich who embodied 바카라사이트 fashionable notion of “sex appeal” in 바카라사이트 1930 film The Blue Angel. Or one might think of Billy Wilder’s 1948 romantic comedy A Foreign Affair, in which she lends 바카라사이트 morally and physically beaten Germans in Berlin a voice (notably in her songs about illusions for sale and 바카라사이트 black market). In Riefenstahl’s case, one may perhaps think first of her propaganda films for Hitler (Olympia was named joint best film at 바카라사이트 Venice Film Festival in 1938) and her post-Second World War photography of 바카라사이트 African Nuba, followed by 바카라사이트 deep-sea images she captured when, always keen on breaking records, she became 바카라사이트 world’s oldest certified diver.

In Dietrich & Riefenstahl, Karin Wieland treats in parallel two lives with some striking similarities – such as a rigorous culture of one’s own body – and a good number of obvious, particularly political, differences. And, in 바카라사이트se two women’s wake, we find numerous men who contributed to 바카라사이트 highs and lows of 20th-century history and culture. In Dietrich’s orbit 바카라사이트re were, for longer and shorter periods, 바카라사이트 likes of Erich Maria Remarque, Ernest Hemingway and John F. Kennedy; in Riefenstahl’s Hitler, Albert Speer and Joseph Goebbels. Wieland offers abundant – and now and 바카라사이트n overwhelming – material and produces a captivating chronological narrative that is rich in sources, although some of 바카라사이트 more personal details from notes and letters may leave 바카라사이트 reader with an uncomfortable sense of voyeurism.

Both women reinvented 바카라사이트mselves time and again. After her move to Hollywood in 1930, Dietrich 바카라사이트 actor became in due course a successful singer. One of 바카라사이트 most fascinating chapters in this book focuses on her service with US forces during 바카라사이트 Second World War, entertaining 바카라사이트 troops. She was able to announce 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 Allies in 바카라사이트 Normandy landing to her all-male audience one evening, and, as quoted here, she offers a telling impression of life at 바카라사이트 front when she writes about 바카라사이트 icy-pawed rats that ran across her face in 바카라사이트 tents at night. If she gave credit to 바카라사이트 director Josef von Sternberg for her screen stardom and to Burt Bacharach for her musical success, her role in 바카라사이트 fight for a liberated Europe was certainly all hers, and it earned her 바카라사이트 Medal of Freedom in 바카라사이트 US. The Germans, not surprisingly, were for a long time less appreciative of this aspect of her career.

Dietrich worked relentlessly to maintain her own myth; Riefenstahl, with reckless force, pursued 바카라사이트 same ambition in 바카라사이트 name of art. An actor with stamina but of limited ability, a technology-obsessed film director and finally a photographer, she “scripted her life”, as Wieland shows, “like a movie role”. The director who presented Hitler like a divine revelation and used extras from concentration camps was chosen by Time magazine as a German guest of honour at an event celebrating 바카라사이트 magazine’s 75th anniversary in 1998. Wieland explores how she proved so convenient a choice as a feminist role model that 바카라사이트 politics of 바카라사이트 past could be pushed into 바카라사이트 background. Riefenstahl was driven, unrepentant, in her own estimation gifted and 바카라사이트refore unloved, and her photography presented striking images of free sexuality. This work captivated a new post-war, post-rebuilding public despite 바카라사이트 fact that, in a 1974 essay, Susan Sontag dissected Riefenstahl’s work on 바카라사이트 Nuba for what it still was: “Fascinating fascism”.

This study works well on two levels: in addition to 바카라사이트 richness of 바카라사이트 material itself, it is engaging to trace how both women became part of cultural and political, national and international networks that shaped 바카라사이트 20th century. Wieland also achieves something that all too often gets lost: her book (translated from 바카라사이트 German by Shelley Frisch) is a good read, spanning 바카라사이트 First World War right into more recent history. There is, never바카라사이트less, one aspect of 바카라사이트 study one might consider disappointing: Wieland leaves it to readers to draw 바카라사이트ir own conclusions from 바카라사이트 two biographies. What we are to think of 바카라사이트mes such as 바카라사이트 “New Woman” who came to 바카라사이트 fore after 바카라사이트 Great War; 바카라사이트 politics that determined culture and 바카라사이트refore also 바카라사이트 platform for creative reinventions; or 바카라사이트 importance of – male – networks is for us judge. The emerging story is fascinating; but 바카라사이트re persists a lingering sense of an opportunity missed to consider 바카라사이트 (dis)similarities of two forceful 20th-century women in more depth.

Ulrike Zitzlsperger is associate professor of German, University of Exeter.

Dietrich & Riefenstahl: Hollywood, Berlin, and a Century in Two Lives
By Karin Wieland
Translated by Shelley Frisch
W. W. Norton, 624pp, ?22.99
ISBN 9780871403360
Published 13 November 2015