OLYMPIA -The LENI RIEFENSTAHL Archival Collection

Director: Leni Riefenstahl
Studio: Pathfinder Home Entertainment
Category: DVD

List Price: $29.98
Buy New: $17.50
You Save: $12.48 (42%)


New (26) Used (9) from $17.43

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 26 reviews
Sales Rank: 7507

Format: Black & White, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Length, Limited Edition, Special Edition, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: German (Original Language), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Italian (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 204 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6

MPN: PH-91599
UPC: 825307915990
EAN: 0825307915990
ASIN: B000FQJA2S

Theatrical Release Date: March 29, 1940
Release Date: June 27, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
OLYMPIA -The LENI RIEFENSTAHL Archival Collection

enlarge enlarge 

Customer Reviews

   Read 21 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Really nice service    December 27, 2008
Thor Astrup Pedersen (Aarhus, Denmark)
The service from tvboxset.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 tvboxset.com


5 out of 5 stars Regardless of the quality, you must own this movie    December 2, 2008
Jonathan (USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

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.



3 out of 5 stars great movie, terribly rendered    October 16, 2008
Daniel Abraham (Boston, MA USA)
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.


3 out of 5 stars 5 star film / 0 star transfer    May 2, 2008
Crazy Cat Lady (Michigan, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

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.


1 out of 5 stars How could they?    March 3, 2008
S. Sutton (New York)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

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.