Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations
A technically dazzling Olympic documentary transforms athletic competition into lyrical spectacle while revealing the propaganda ambitions surrounding the 1936 Berlin Games.
Overview
A stunning visual tribute to the human spirit and athletic prowess, captured in breathtaking detail.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- majestic
- lyrical
- intense
- historical film study
- sports viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaim the film's technically groundbreaking and visually ravishing treatment of athletic movement while recognizing its entanglement with Nazi propaganda.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Diving, sprinting, and other competitions are presented through close-ups, slow-motion-like visual emphasis, and patterned movement rather than simple event coverage.
The film glorifies youthful athletic bodies and connects Olympic spectacle with the political culture of National Socialist Germany.
Commissioned by the 1936 Olympic Committee, the film foregrounds torch-lighting, stadium ceremony, Hitler's presence, and national athletic achievement.
The film moves among the marathon, men's diving, track races, and athletes from multiple countries.
Films like Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations, and why
Triumph of the Will
innovative sports cinematography, monumental spectacle, and political propaganda
The Games of the V Olympiad Stockholm, 1912
celebration of athletic bodies through stylized movement and lyrical visual composition
Free Solo
observational sports documentary focused on competition, physical effort, and cinematic motion
Movie Details
- Director
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Release Date
- 1938-04-21
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (127)
Cast
- David Albritton
- Arvo Askola
- Jack Beresford
- Erwin Blask
- Sulo Bärlund
- Ibolya Csák
- Glenn Cunningham
- Henri de Baillet-Latour
- Philip Edwards
- Donald Finlay
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel, FlixFling
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations about?
- A technically dazzling Olympic documentary transforms athletic competition into lyrical spectacle while revealing the propaganda ambitions surrounding the 1936 Berlin Games.
- What is Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations.
- What did critics think of Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations?
- Critics broadly acclaim the film's technically groundbreaking and visually ravishing treatment of athletic movement while recognizing its entanglement with Nazi propaganda.
- Which films are like Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations?
- Films with a similar feel include Triumph of the Will, The Games of the V Olympiad Stockholm, 1912, and Free Solo.
- How long is Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations?
- Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations?
- In United States, Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations streams on Criterion Channel, FlixFling.
