Book review·Book review｜Two women under Nazi ideology

In fact, women were never absent from the Nazi or fascist ideology, and were often glorified as being as important as "holding up half the sky." However, during the Nazi era, women who received much attention, preferential treatment, and even had blood relations with the Führer were actually How comfortable is it? Perhaps many famous women during this period, especially those who resisted totalitarian society, will jump into the minds of readers, but today we are going to discuss two supporters of the Nazi era - one is "my perfect wife" in Hitler's mouth "German woman" (Hitler's original words: "My perfect German woman") Riefenstahl; one is the head of state's daughter, known as the most powerful woman under Mussolini's rule, Ada Mussolini.

Riefenstahl

I first became aware of Riefenstahl when I read Susan Sontag's Fascinating Fascism. In the article, Sontag pointed out to readers by introducing this film director from the Nazi era that Riefenstahl continued to shoot some documentaries as a film director after the war, one of which was "" The Last Nuba". This documentary filmed a primitive tribe in Africa, the people there called the Nuba people. Riefenstahl captured the culture, customs, etc. of the tribe through his own lens, which can be regarded as a record of the tribe before it disappeared.

About "Triumph of the Will"

Now I am reading this essay again in Sontag's new book "On Women". I remember that the Chinese translation at that time was "Charming Fascism". Almost twenty years later, a much younger me once again entered my memory - she was madly obsessed with Riefenstahl, and what kind of person did she think could do what she liked during the Nazi period? , such as directing, acting, etc., and also shot the most famous Nazi propaganda film, but escaped unscathed after the war? ! How could this be? If she wasn't as slippery as a loach, she must be the smartest woman. Otherwise, how could she possibly convince the war criminals trial that the documentary "Triumph of the Will" she shot had nothing to do with Nazi government propaganda? Sontag naturally also analyzed Riefenstahl's most famous and controversial documentary/Nazi German propaganda film "Triumph of the Will".

Friends who have watched "Triumph of the Will" may have a feeling that it is no wonder that Propaganda Minister Goebbels hated Riefenstahl very much. She made such a film, and asked how should the Propaganda Minister deal with himself? ! 👇 Below is a photo of Goebbels and Riefenstahl. It’s hard to conceal their displeasure.

However, Riefenstahl described his documentary "Triumph of the Will" this way: "Everything is genuine. And there is no tendentious commentary for the simple reason that there is no commentary at all. It is history -- pure history. "Yes, the entire documentary does not have any narration or commentary or opinion parts that want to explain anything to the audience. It is all recorded. Whether "Triumph of the Will" is a Nazi propaganda film or not is left to the viewer to judge. As a director, Riefenstahl insisted that he was only describing the real situation at that time. Her answer was very clever. Riefenstahl studied creative dancing since she was a child. When she grew up, she became a beautiful actress and director. She was highly appreciated by Hitler and eventually became famous. Riefenstahl never admitted that he was the bearer of Nazi ideology until his death. He preferred to be an artist. self-identity.

On the Aesthetics of Nazism

Although she is an artist, Riefenstahl does not particularly want to admit that she is the kind of artist who likes realism (so, is her "Triumph of the Will" realistic or not?!). Sontag pointed out that Riefenstahl said: " Whatever is purely realistic, slice-of-life, which is average, quotidian, doesn't interest me. " Therefore, in her mind, she did not want to be with Realistic. What she said about the realism of "Triumph of the Will" is just because the fanatical Nazi Germany under the camera is far from reality. I like Sontag’s summary of Nazi, fascist or totalitarian ideologies very much, and all the aspects she mentioned below can be used in Riefenstahl’s subsequent artistic pursuits. 👇

Sontag said: "For Riefenstahl is the only major artist who was completely identified with the Nazi era and whose work, not only during the Third Reich but thirty years after its fall, has consistently illustrated many themes of fascist aesthetics." Sontag Ge went on to talk about why Riefenstahl’s artworks still displayed fascist aesthetics not only during the Nazi Germany period, but also thirty years after Nazi Germany’s defeat——

Susan Sontag applied "The Last Nuba" to fascist ideology, stating that the film showed " a preoccupation with situations of control, submissive behavior, extravagant effort, and the endurance of pain "; in the film's ending In shooting in the name of "beauty", Riefenstahl showed the Nazi ideology of control and enslavement in a disguised form of beauty pageant, " the turning of people into things; the multiplication or replication of things; and the grouping of people/things around an all-powerful leader figure or force .」

In addition to feeling that Sontag is thorough, I also feel that perhaps Riefenstahl is indeed a female artist who grew up under Nazi ideology, and she has never been able to see the world beyond her own limitations. At the age of 101, she seems to be more like a bearer of fascist ideology and aesthetics. Through her lens, she goes hand in hand with modernity in the name of art, and even sometimes intersects with it.

Ada Mussolini

Ada Mussolini's life was also long and full of ups and downs. She was the eldest daughter of Italian fascist leader Mussolini and was also much loved. She is called "Europe's most dangerous woman" in Caroline Moorehead's new book. This is too much of a headline! Women have always been in a subordinate position in the construction of fascist ideology. As half of the sky, they support the home and logistics. Women who occasionally go into battle are mostly stripped of their feminine characteristics and almost neutral existence (of course, once they When arrested, the "sexual" part of female characteristics will be particularly revealed.)

I became aware of the existence of Ada Mussolini when I read Sarah Watling's "No Man's Land: Can a woman be dangerous yet powerless?" in the European Book Review.

Ada Mussolini is not an artist like Riefenstahl, who has her own works; Ada's life trajectory seems to show the powerlessness of women under fascist ideology.

Ada's husband, Ciano, is a hereditary count and a famous diplomat. Ada's husband Ciano was once the Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, China. While he and his family were stationed in Shanghai, they welcomed the birth of their eldest son in Shanghai. 😄 Yes, Mussolini's grandson was born in Shanghai. I was surprised to find that the stories surrounding Ada were always related to her beautiful appearance and lingering scandals. It turns out that Ada Mussolini, who was enjoying herself in Shanghai, loved playing mahjong 🀄️, and the target of her scandal was actually Zhang Xueliang. I searched for a photo of Zhang Xueliang and Ada Mussolini on the public Internet. At least I didn’t see any affection between their eyes.

The photo was taken in February 1931. Yu Fengzhi is on the right in the front row, followed by Zhang Xueliang and Ada Mussolini looking into the distance. Ada has always been praised for her beauty, and as the eldest daughter of Mussolini, she also did her part for her father's fascist empire. Women under fascist ideology are told that they are "liberated" and "can hold up half the sky." In fact, the most powerful women still have to beg their fathers not to execute their imprisoned husbands when there are major differences of opinion. Yes, Ciano did not support Italy's military plan at the time, and Mussolini threw him in jail for being a traitor. Ada's pleas in every possible way did not save her husband from being killed, and she finally took her husband's The precious diary escapes.

Ada in the photo looks determined, but her smile still shows a little tentative move of asking for approval. Thinking about her fate as the daughter of the head of state, one can't help but feel sad.

It was not uncommon, even commonplace, for women to appear as mistresses under fascist ideology. Even Riefenstahl, whom Hitler called "the most perfect German woman," once admitted frankly that if Hitler hadn't been so lacking in sexual attraction, she would have become the Führer's lover! 😅(Doesn’t this mean Eva is blind)

No matter what, they have spent their lives facing the past and moving towards the future, frankly or not. As for whether they can really get out of the shadow of fascist/Nazi ideology, I think only one person has the courage to face the truth. That’s the solution.