What a grave disappointment

In addition to the many other qualms I've expressed about this documentary, I was sorely disappointed that the director rarely encouraged Riefenstahl to explain her film techniques in detail.

For example, Mueller asks her about the proto-fascist tendencies in the mountain film genre, the glorification of Hitler in Triumph of the Will and the fascistic adulation of the human physique in her work. Her short answers are interesting - she rejects the first and third charge but agrees with the second. Unfortunately, however, Mueller never asks her to explain the nature of her visual language in detail and thus has no opportunity to approach the problem of fascist art from a new vantage point or armed with new information. What a pity. Riefenstahl was an excellent source of information about her craftsmanship and aesthetic preferences. Even at age 91, she remembered all the technical details of her productions and very much enjoyed discussing her filming techniques and cutting strategies. So those conversations about technical details could have been developed into comparative reflections about alternative editing strategies, the visual languages of other filmmakers, and the possible ideological implications of different artistic styles.