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| Leni Riefenstahl |
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| Carice van Houten |
Berlin,
Germany—I first talked about this last February when there was a tease article
in Variety Magazine.
The
Jessie Owens story is coming to the big screen.
The film titled, Race is starring Stephan James as Owens and he is joined Jeremy Irons and William Hurt in this film. Stephen Hopkins is directing the film. Shooting began this week in Berlin.
The
multi-talented Dutch actress, Carice van Houten who happens to be my personal favorite has signed
on to play the legendary German film director Leni Riefenstahl.
Van
Houten was cast in the once in a lifetime role of the accidental Dutch
resistance hero, Rachel Stein / Ellis de Vries in Paul Verhoeven’s film, Black
Book (2006). That’s still is my favorite film of all time!
Today,
van Houten graces the Game of Game of Thrones cast as the Red Priestess, Melisandre.
Riefenstahl
was a gorgeous dancer and actress and genuine contemporary of the late great
Marlene Dietrich. The events of 1933 in
Germany would change her life.
Riefenstahl
was an incredibly talented woman who took advantage of an opportunity within Adolf Hitler’s emerging Third Reich to make films with virtually unlimited budgets.
Riefenstahl
was not anti-Semitic or any kind of a racist.
She was an opportunist that simply rose to the occasion when she got her
chance.
One
of her trademark masterpiece films, Triumph des Willens or in English Triumph of
The Will is banned today in Germany.
It’s filled with amazing camera shots both static and aerial that had
never been done before in cinema.
That
film was an epic propaganda piece designed to make Germany love their new
leader who promised them hope and change and during a very bleak period in
German History.
Riefenstahl matched her
stunning images with music and the film became an undeniable hit. Nazi propaganda aside Riefenstahl did exactly
what film directors are supposed to do.
Riefenstahl’s
greatest epic was her documentation of the 1936 Olympics. Hitler decreed that
Blacks and Jews could not take part in this event but relented when Germany
would not be allowed to host the event
We
all know what happened with that legendary African-American track star Jessie Owens, to
Hitler’s chagrin defeated all of the world’s greatest runners.
Riefenstahl’s
spectacular film of Owens' victory has been seen millions of times and it’s still being
shown today nearly 80 years later! Riefenstahl created the template that sports
photographers everywhere still follow today.
Riefenstahl
invented camera movements using aircraft, sliders, dollies and jibs that are
being used by filmmakers everywhere today. Imagine
what she would have done with the multi-rotor camera drones in use today.
Riefenstahl
was sought after by Walt Disney but her alliance with Hitler spoiled that. She was nearly tried as a war criminal and
found herself punished and precluded from doing what she preferred in Hollywood.
Riefenstahl
became a documentary film maker that made groundbreaking films of African
tribes and oceanographic scientific films until her death at age 100 in 2003.
Riefenstahl
was also known for having a boyfriend some 40 years her junior!
Okay i admit that I’m in love with van Houten’s amazing talents. I know this woman is exactly
what the Oscar’s Best Actress Award is all about. I love her singing too! I often listen to van
Houten’s album, See You On The Ice as I drive around L.A.
I
only hope that van Houten is able to book more of the blockbuster films she
deserves. If I was somehow van Houten’s
agent, I’d make that happen!
Comments
She is beautiful and talented, and I look forward to seeing the movie Race.
Footnote: Boo/hiss on the City of Chicago for trying to remove the name Jesse Owens from a Chicago Public School on the South Side. I believe they relented after public backlash.