Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1938)

In 1936, the Olympic Committee assigns an ambitious task to Riefenstahl: to create a cinematic masterpiece out of the Berlin Olympics. The resulting documentary, Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty, is a harmonious symphony of human strength and agility, blending poetic sequences of athletes in motion with intimate close-ups of their fierce competition. The film tends to exalt the youthful male form, echoing some critics' views of the Nazi perception of athletic superiority. Through Riefenstahl's lens, viewers are transported to the heart of field hockey, soccer, cycling, equestrian, aquatic, and gymnastic events, their pulses synchronizing with the athletes' exertion. The film's highlights are the nail-biting Pentathlon and Decathlon, the latter crowned by American champion Glenn Morris. The film culminates in a triumphant finale, capturing the exhilarating closure of the games, leaving viewers awestruck by the spectacle of human determination and physical prowess.

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty is a documentary movie featuring Jack Beresford and directed by Leni Riefenstahl.

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty is currently streaming on Criterion Channel and FlixFling.

It is also possible to buy Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty on Apple TV, FlixFling, Google Play Movies and YouTube.