Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps I'm being down-right mean but...
Review: ... Taschen in cooperation with Leni have produced a magnificent book - there's no disputing that! I especially appreciated the large stills from Leni's early movies and thought the grainy look on matt paper an appropriate way to present them. For people who are unfamiliar with Riefenstahl's work this book serves well as a visual "Sampler" - in that purpose it is ***** (5 star). Being familiar as I am with all of Leni's photo books, I would much rather a publisher like Taschen pick up the rights and re-publish "Olympia", "The People of Kau" and "Nuba" - any of these books is a far more essential purchase than "Five Lives". Also worth reading is "Sieve of Time" - Leni Riefenstahl's memoir. The photos from "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia" -good as they are- don't (and can't) convey the power of the movies from which they came. If you haven't seen these movies, rent or buy the videos.......oh how I'd love to see restored prints of these movies on the big screen! This book is worth buying for those unfamiliar with Riefenstahl's work...and for those wanting an overview of her work in a single volume. But to really appreciate her work......seek out her out-of-print books!
Rating: 
Summary: Hollywood couldn't invent it
Review: A biography in pictures of arguably the most influential female film-maker in the history of the medium...though all too many people in the industry are afraid to admit to it. Made the greatest propaganda film in history (unfortunate choice of subject matter) and the most important and influential sports documentary of all time (Olympia). Dancer, actress, director, producer, still photographer, underwater cinematographer...an astounding list of accomplishments driven by a desire to perceive and record the world around her has compelled Leni Riefenstahl since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Oversized, handsomely produced volume (typical Taschen quality) is packed with rare photographs and fascinating commentary. Note: sparkle in eyes of 19-year old dancer and 99-year old legend is exactly the same.
Rating:
Summary: Hollywood couldn't invent it
Review: A biography in pictures of arguably the most influential female film-maker in the history of the medium...though all too many people in the industry are afraid to admit to it. Made the greatest propaganda film in history (unfortunate choice of subject matter) and the most important and influential sports documentary of all time (Olympia). Dancer, actress, director, producer, still photographer, underwater cinematographer...an astounding list of accomplishments driven by a desire to perceive and record the world around her has compelled Leni Riefenstahl since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Oversized, handsomely produced volume (typical Taschen quality) is packed with rare photographs and fascinating commentary. Note: sparkle in eyes of 19-year old dancer and 99-year old legend is exactly the same.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous book--a must have!
Review: As gifted as she is controversial, Leni Riefenstahl's "five" lives are imminently fascinating as this impressive book will prove! Even to the uninformed or casual observer, this edition will entrance. A great addition to your library, especially if you are impressed by the 102 year old dynamo who continues to prove filmmaking and photography as an art form. A living testament to the fact that "bodies in motion, stay in motion!"
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous book--a must have!
Review: As gifted as she is controversial, Leni Riefenstahl's "five" lives are imminently fascinating as this impressive book will prove! Even to the uninformed or casual observer, this edition will entrance. A great addition to your library, especially if you are impressed by the 102 year old dynamo who continues to prove filmmaking and photography as an art form. A living testament to the fact that "bodies in motion, stay in motion!"
Rating: 
Summary: Renaissance Woman of the 20th century....
Review: First off, I must give praise to Angelika Taschen for publishing this grand, aesthetic book featuring stills of the life and work of misunderstood renaissance-woman Leni Riefenstahl... What a bold, beautiful result it has become... Personally I would have weighted the pictures of the "Triumpf des Willens"/"Olympia" period more in favour of the later Riefenstahl works, but none the less, this is a brilliant "from the cradle to the grave" document of the amazing life and art of Leni... (Although Leni actually, to the best of my knowledge, isn't dead yet...She is approaching her 100th year of existance!....) Like Ernst Jünger, who lived to be 102 year old!, Leni Riefenstahl seem to transcend both time and history...."How could I not admire you, for you are the genius of film and have raised it to heights seldom achieved." Jean Cocteau
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Photographic Tribute to a Remarkable Woman
Review: How different would Leni Riefenstahl's life have been had she not filmed Triumph of the Will? One can only speculate what films she would have directed and starred in after World War II were it not for Hitler insisting she do the film. Riefenstahl has been referred to as a Renaissance woman, and she most certainly was. She was a creative being and expressed her creativity in dance, acting, directing, photography and ocean diving. These five areas, spanning her entire long life, are the subject of this sumptuous coffee table book. Editor Taschen Angelica is to be commended on compiling this life-work on Riefenstahl while Leni was still alive to assist in the selection and arrangement of the photographs. The segment on the mountain films is worth the price of the book alone, but the color images of the Nuba are also amazing. Riefenstahl's revenge against those who denied her her cinematic craft after World War II was being able to live to 101, and seeing her life-long accomplishments compliled into this book. Rumor has it Jody Foster is at work on a film project about Riefenstahl. One hopes Foster will get it right and cover her entire life, not just the years that caused so much controversy.
Rating:
Summary: FASCINATING PICTORIAL BIOGRAPHY OF A CONTROVERSIAL WOMAN
Review: One remarkable woman, five remarkable careers. A dancer, actress, film-maker, photographer and deep-sea diver, Leni Riefenstahl, 98 years old and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, has excelled in each field of endeavor. Her contributions to the art and technique of film-making were vast, most notably in her 1938 film Olympia. Critically acclaimed for her work under Nazi rule but harshly criticized after the war, Riefenstahl persevered, completing in 1954 Tiefland, which she starred in, directed and edited. In the 1960s and 70s she traveled to the Sudan and extensively photographed the Nuba tribes, publishing three books of this work. Ready for yet another challenge, Riefenstahl took up deep-sea diving at the age of 71, beginning a new chapter as an underwater photographer. Though she has attracted much attention throughout her life and has been the subject of many books, articles, and films, LENI RIEFENSTAHL- FIVE LIVES is the first book to showcase her entire career in pictures. Produced in close collaboration with Riefenstahl herself, the book includes famous images as well as many previously unpublished pictures from her private archives. The book features photographs that show all of Riefenstahl's careers; on stage as a dancer, on the set as an actress and film-maker, and includes film stills and her own photographs. The biography, international bibliography, and detailed filmography complement the illustrated section with extensive information about Riefenstahl's personal and professional life. Precise commentaries about the pictures can be found in the comprehensive appendix. Admirers and critics alike will be impressed with this sweeping visual tribute.
Rating:
Summary: You can tell a book by its cover
Review: The striking front cover on this book is a publicity still as Junta, in the movie "The Blue Light" 1932. As impressive as the cover is, it gets better when you open it to reveal hundreds of artistically shot photos. Dr. Ruth says bigger is not necessarily better. However in this case it is; something about the size of the photographs add to their striking appearance. Most are in grainy black and white with some color sections. This book is just a wee to large to fit in my oversized bookshelf. So I am making a larger shelf to display the books front view. Just as you assume that this is a great coffee table book you will find that there is more too it. Luckily the pictures are not cluttered or distracted by alpha pneumonics. All the descriptions are in a separate section. The title of the book is appropriate as it portray s the different vocations of Leni. (Dancer, Actress, Director, Photographer, Diver) This book also enhances the viewing experience of Leni's films.
Rating:
Summary: A Tour de Force
Review: This is a marvelous coffee table book displaying the work of Leni Riefenstahl as I, for one, have never seen it. From her early film work, to her Nazi work, to her work in Africa and her underwater shots, this book will amaze all of us who connect Ms. Riefenstahl solely with Nazi Germany. It is a fascinating look at the long, long career of this no-doubt interesting and resiliant woman.
|
