Olympia: watch order

The movies in the series, sorted by release date. Total runtime: 3 h 51 min. Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. Part one, Festival of the Nations, captures a renowned introduction that compares modern Olympians to classical Greek heroes, and goes on to provide thrilling in-the-moment coverage of some of the games' most celebrated moments, including African-American athlete Jesse Owens winning a then-unprecedented four gold medals. Part two, The Festival of Beauty, concentrates on individual athletes such as equestrians, gymnasts, and swimmers, climaxing with American Glenn Morris' performance in the decathalon and the games' majestic closing ceremonies.

1. 
   Movie 1

   Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1938)

   2 h 7 min · ★ 6.9

   Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and…

2. 
   Movie 2

   Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1938)

   1 h 44 min · ★ 6.7

   Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the…