woutervandersluis

Again we are shown a life documentary about one of the famous/notorious and talented filmmakers in the world Leni Riefenstahl. Yes there is more historical material as in the predecessing movies but the story is the same: the onesided accentuation of her admiration of the nazies in the thirties which colored her work at the time. To little is told why she was so good in her work with completely new techniques. I would have liked to know more about that.

Riefenstahl admits her mistake being pro nazi at the time. She says unlike most Germans now openly that she was like 80% of the German population. And she shows in her movie Triumf des Willens why they all were so enthousiastic. That she turned away in her work from working for the nazies, seeing life what happened in 1940 during the invasion of Poland is also in this film only and repeatedly presented as a nazi commitment. Yes she realized she was committed and refused to go on being so.

The point which had to be accentuated in this movie was Riefenstahl artistic fascination of human beauty but even her admiration for the Nuba warriors is seen as suspicious.

After 2 and a half hours, you realize that it all revolves around the conflict between Oppenheimer and Strauss, who originally hired him to create the Atom Bomb. Strauss later tried to undermine him simply because he didn't want to give Oppenheimer so much credit. Other topics such as competition with the Nazis, how the bomb was made, Oppenheimer's relationship with Eisenstein, and his love life are only briefly touched upon. There is a continuous musical score accompanied by overwhelming sound effects to alleviate the boredom. You are relieved when things become slightly clearer at the end what is the focus of the movie and especially that the film is finely over.

Amsterdam plays the main part as far as I can see in the first episode. The serie is filmed on very good Amsterdam locations so good that you are tempted to visit that city if you did not already. So many locations which I know all well cause I live in that city and love it. Good choice! And the main character Momo is a beautiful boy played by a good actor which makes all these locations all the better. But then were is the story? Maybe it is still coming. Momo writes a book and let everybody know this on many locations. Much further than that we don't get .... so far. Ok I ll watch the next episode cause I love my city and I start to love Momo.