In this remarkable essay, entitled fascinating fascism, she not only anatomizes the nature of fascist art, as exemplified in the photographs and films of leni riefenstahl, but excoriates the kind of dumb taste that has led to the purification of leni riefenstahls reputation of its nazi. Fascist aesthetics and the heroic sontag, riefenstahl. Fascinating fascism susan sontag on leni riefenstahl 1975 1 point by kwindla 4 hours ago hide past web favorite discuss applications are open for yc summer 2020. Sontag, as ever, manages to craft writings of remarkable intellectual range and depth on pretty much anything she focuses. Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Fascinating fascism the allure of fascism o power and virility fetishism of courage o certainty and mindlessness o romantic idealism over realism o purity and cleanliness o extravagance and pageantry o egomania and servitude why has the us always been more willing to have good relations w far right fascist countries than leftist countries. Sontag writes with unwavering rigor and intensity,asking the most difficult questions and affirming a deep commitment to extending our sense of what a human life can be, as she said on accepting the jerusalem prize in 2000. Its that holiness and heroism which westerns have providedboth to americans and to other imperialist powers over the past 150 years. Susan sontag was born on january 16, 1933, in new york city, the older of jack and mildred jacobson rosenblatts two daughters. Ostensibly a critique of an african photo journal by leni riefenstahl, it attempts to scrape off the whitewash the german filmmaker had succeeded in applying to. Here is a book of 126 splendid color photographs by leni riefenstahl, certainly the most ravishing book of photographs published anywhere in recent years. Rosettabooks is the leading publisher dedicated exclusively to electronic editions of great works of fiction and nonfiction that. Art and propaganda art history oxford bibliographies. Susan sontag, in a famous essay called fascinating fascism, first published in 1974, argues that leni riefenstahl, who by that time had made a conspicuous.
Notes on camp against interpretation fascinating fascism on photography illness as metaphor the volcano lover regarding the pain of others. Here is susan sontag s seminal essay on the enduring power of fascist aesthetics in contemporary culture. Susan sontag s critique of her in fascinating fascism 1975 and boris groys reflections in the hero body. When she was five, her father died of tuberculosis and her mother returned from china. Unsere wehrmacht, 1935, that depicts the beauty of soldiers and soldiering for the fuhrer. Sontag dissects the jacket copy in the last of the nuba by leni riefenstahl line by line in order to take down the lauded filmmaker by reminding us of. Fascinating fascism from the february 6, 1975 issue. Who makes the nazis susan sontag on fascist aesthetics.
Fascinating fascism susan sontag free download as pdf file. On a book of photographs shot by leni riefenstahl in the 1950s and 1960s depicting an african tribe. Sontags explanation for her disavowal of riefenstahl has never been particularly detailed. Fascinating fascism is the title of susan sontag s celebrated nyrb article on leni riefenstahls the last of the nuba, a photographic chronicle of the aloof, godlike nuba of southern sudan. Her early years were spent with her grandparents in new york while her parents ran a fur export business in china. If it is true, as susan sontag said, that fascism is fascinating, 1 and if that applies to french fascism as well, why is it that only americansso it seemsfind it fascinating. What are the 10 best nonfiction essays of the past 50 years. Essay 1974 by influential cultural critic, reversing sontag s earlier position on the inimicability of art and propaganda. And here is a fascinating layout of twelve blackandwhite photographs of leni riefenstahl on the back cover of the book, also ravishing. Susan sontag published back in 1974, during the heyday of what was then. Despite the conspicuous failure to acknowledge her own reversal, and despite some overthetop observations sontag found fascist qualities even in the hollywood choreography of busby berkeley, fascinating fascism was a welcome piece of work.
To interviewer charles ruas, sontag explained that fascinating fascism. As mussolini wrote, for fascism, the growth of empire, that is to say the expansion of the nation, is an essential manifestation of. In fascinating fascism, susan sontag explores the erotic dynamics of fascist cinema using the example of triumph of the will 2. Susan sontag, the dark lady of american intellectual life for over four decades, has died of cancer. Under the sign of saturn i have no desire to leave the typewriter except to sleep each morning someone brings me the paris herald tribune with its monstrous collage of news of america, encapsu lated, distorted, stranger than ever from this distance. In this post, im going to play a variation on a theme composed by the habitual heretic and consummate critic, susan sontag and demonstrate the pervasive plasticity of damaging ideologies such as patriarchy and fascism. All four of riefenstahls commissioned nazi filmswhether about party congresses, the wehrmacht, or athletescelebrate the rebirth of the body and. It was the subject of a famous critique by susan sontag in claiming that it adhered to a fascist aesthetic.
Violence as lebenstil and fascism as a fusion of arendts categories of power and violence fascinating fascism is the title of susan sontag s celebrated article on leni riefenstahls the last of the nuba, a photographic chronicle of the. The friedenspreis acceptance speech 20031012 fascinating fascism illustrated text of sontag. Fascinating fascism on a book of photographs shot by leni riefenstahl in the 1950s and 1960s depicting an african tribe. Adolf hitlers art theory on the body in relation to politics, domination, control and visuality. In the intractable desert of the southern sudan live about eight thousand aloof, godlike nuba, emblems of physical perfection, with large, wellshaped, partly shaven heads, expressive faces, and.
Under the sign of saturn feels a bit darker than some of her other books ive read, in so far is a lot of the essays focus on both directly and implicity fascism and its broad appeal and continued resonance in the arts and culture of the postwar era. Against theory pdf 1982 brian mchale, postmodernist fiction 1987. Riefenstahl interpreted the essay as a personal attack. The modern style of interpretation excavates, and as it excavates. Sontag was a tall, handsome, fluent and articulate woman. Fascinating fascism caused a sensation because sontag. Dive deep into susan sontag s a susan sontag reader with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. Fascinating fascism susan sontag joseph goebbels fascism. To interviewer charles ruas, sontag explained that fascinating fascism was written most quickly. Susan sontag, in a famous essay called fascinating fascism, first published in 1974, argues that leni riefenstahl, who by that time had made a conspicuous comeback as a photographer in the u. The title of this volume is borrowed from an influential essay by. However, in fascinating fascism, included in under the sign of saturn, sontag however, it is because her attempt to combine narrative and analysis, history and an i was able to find a pdf version of susan sontag s essay for you in the online journal daedalus. Fascist aesthetics and the heroic sontag, riefenstahl and propaganda. Although, at the conclusion of fascinating fascism.
David rieff on how his mother, susan sontag, lived as a citizen of the republic of letters. Fascinating fascism is the title of susan sontags year. In 1974, sontag, living in paris, encountered two books which prompted her to write the essay which provides our embarkation. Jean genet susan sontag s article fascinating fascism on leni riefenstahl and, more broadly, fascism in art sparked my interest in creating a list of films and assorted art works in other media that have fascist aesthetics. Fascinating fascism brought to you by albion college. Susan sontag 16 january 1933 28 december 2004 was an american writer and filmmaker, novelist, writer of screenplays, professor, literary icon, and political activist. In fascinating fascism, her incisive reading of the films of leni riefenstahl, she ponders the insidious. Susan sontag fascinante fascismo narrativa cinematografica 3593. To the editors it was a strange experience to read susan sontag s critique nyr, february 6 of leni riefenstahl and the eroticization of nazism. Sontag s many honors are the 2003 peace prize of the german book trade, the 2003 prince of asturias prize, the 2001 jerusalem prize, and the national book critics circle award for on photography 1978. Fascinating fascism susan sontag on leni riefenstahl.