Riefenstahl Screened: An Anthology of New Criticism

LeniRiefenstahlislargerthanlife.Fromthelureofherpersonaasitentersourhomesviatelevisiontoourpleasureintherecognitionofherfilmimagesatrockconcerts，toherplaceaspartofthehistoryoftheNaziperiod，Riefenstahllivesoninourimaginationandinourculturalproductions.Thus，theeditors'introductiontothisvolumeexaminesthemannerinwhichRiefenstahl'haunts'debatesonaestheticsandpolitics，andhowherlegacyreverberatesinthecontemporaryculturalscene.Theeditorsviewthecollectionasathree-partframework.TheessaysintheopeningsectionofthebookshowthatRiefenstahlisstillverymuchaliveandwell-andcontroversial-inpopularculture.HerfilmscontinuetodeterminethewayinwhichwethinkabouttheNaziperiod，providinginstantlyrecognizableimagesandmessagesthatoftengounquestioned.WecannotseparatethesephenomenafromRiefenstahl'syearsofavidself-fashioning.Thesecondsectionofthebookofferstreatmentsoftheshifting，mobilerelationshipbetweenRiefenstahl'sstubbornattemptstocreateandcontrolherpersonaeandherreactionstoothers're-appropriationsofthemeaningsofherlifeandwork.Readingthetextsanddiscoursessurrounding'Riefenstahl，'thesescholarstreathermemoirs-andherrepeatedassertionsaboutherself-asaspringboardintounderstandinganewhowwemightapproachherfilmsinaproductiveway.Theclosingsectionofthevolumecomprisesessaysthatgorighttotheheartofthematter：Riefenstahl'sfilmsandphotography.Thenewcontexts--theoreticaldiscussionsandemergingdiscoursesthatanimatetheseessays--includeScarry'streatiseonbeauty，justiceandtheglobal，theproblemsofhistoryandmemory，theplaceofRiefenstahl'sfilmmakingtechniqueincontemporarycinema，andherappropriationofGermanmusicaltraditions.Fueledbytheworkofadiverserangeofscholars，then，"Riefenstahl"ScreenedoffersanopportunitytorethinktheplaceofLeniRiefenstahlandherworkincontemporarycultureandinacademicdiscourse.Itinsistsuponacriticalself-examinationthatmapsatopographyofhowscholarsandteachersavailthemselvesofRiefenstahl'scorpus.