Riefenstahl – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Riefenstahl

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2024

42%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A critically-acclaimed but heavy documentary dissecting Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl's artistic legacy and moral failures—adults only.

7.2/10

97%

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Riefenstahl

movie

2024

42%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A critically-acclaimed but heavy documentary dissecting Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl's artistic legacy and moral failures—adults only.

7.2

97%

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7.2/10

97%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this isn't going in anyone's family movie night rotation. Riefenstahl is a serious, critically-acclaimed documentary about one of history's most morally compromised artists—a woman who made breathtaking films for the Nazis and spent decades lying about what she knew.

The 97% Rotten Tomatoes score tells you it's excellent documentary filmmaking. But 'excellent' doesn't mean 'enjoyable'—this is heavy, challenging material about propaganda, complicity, and genocide. It's enriching in the way that difficult historical education is enriching: you come away understanding something important about how evil operates and how people deceive themselves.

For adults interested in history, ethics, or the intersection of art and politics? This is valuable viewing. For literally anyone under 18, or anyone looking for lighter fare? Hard pass. This is vegetables-only dinner: nutritious, important, and absolutely not what most people want on a Tuesday night.

Age Fit

This is exclusively adult content (18+). The subject matter—Nazi propaganda, Holocaust complicity, and atrocities—requires historical knowledge, emotional maturity, and context that younger viewers simply don't have. Not appropriate for teens or children under any circumstances.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This documentary examines a deeply troubling historical figure who created Nazi propaganda films. While the documentary itself approaches the subject critically, the subject matter—Nazi atrocities, moral complicity, propaganda—is inherently disturbing and emotionally heavy. Not emotionally healthy viewing for younger audiences, though it handles the material with appropriate gravity for mature viewers.

Imaginative

Strong critical ratings (97% RT, 78 Metacritic) suggest sophisticated documentary filmmaking that likely employs creative techniques to juxtapose Riefenstahl's self-mythologizing against historical evidence. The exploration of art vs. complicity and the tension between aesthetic achievement and moral failure invites complex thinking, though it's analytical rather than generatively creative.

Safe

This is a Holocaust-adjacent documentary dealing with Nazi propaganda, atrocities, and moral complicity. While documentaries about this period are important educational tools, they inherently contain disturbing historical content, imagery from propaganda films, and discussion of genocide. Not safe for children or unprepared viewers. Appropriate only for mature audiences who understand the context.

Enriching

Highly enriching for mature audiences—tackles complex ethical questions about art, complicity, historical responsibility, and self-deception. The critical acclaim (97% RT, 78 Metacritic, 7.2 IMDb) indicates thoughtful, rigorous examination of how artists rationalize collaboration with evil regimes. Provides important historical perspective and moral education, but only for those ready to grapple with difficult truths.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Exceptional critical reception (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) suggests sophisticated, rigorous filmmaking
Tackles genuinely important questions about art, complicity, and how people rationalize collaboration with evil
Challenges Riefenstahl's decades-long attempt to whitewash her Nazi collaboration with actual historical evidence
Provides crucial historical education about propaganda, artistic responsibility, and the Holocaust for mature viewers

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What to Watch For

This is emphatically NOT family viewing—contains Holocaust content, Nazi imagery, and discussion of atrocities
Emotionally and intellectually demanding; requires significant historical context and emotional maturity
May include disturbing archival footage from Riefenstahl's propaganda films and Nazi-era material
Best suited for adults with interest in history, ethics, or documentary film—not entertainment in the traditional sense

Conversation Starters

"Can great art be created in service of evil? Does aesthetic achievement excuse moral failure?"
"How do people rationalize their complicity with terrible regimes? What does Riefenstahl's self-deception tell us about human nature?"
"What responsibility do artists have for how their work is used politically?"
"How should we remember historical figures who created important art while collaborating with genocidal regimes?"

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